Finding Home
by NicNyx
Summary: Bella's life was perfect. She had a great house, a steady income a fiance... but things aren't always as they seem. A brash decision and a move that takes her to the other side of the world see's Bella forced to find herself in a whole new country: New Zealand. AU/OOC Kiwiward/Kiwiella
1. Chapter 1

***So my understanding of Te Reo Māori, is basic at best. Children in schools probably know more than me, but I understand some basics and some phrases so they will make appearances throughout.**

 **I am Māori so mistakes that I make, I accept whole heartedly, because this fic as well as some pretty awesome people I know have helped me with my understanding.**

 ***N.B Maori vowel, as mentioned are the same as Japanese. So A, E, I, O, U becomes Ah-Eh-EE-Or-Oo**

* * *

 **Bella POV**

I never thought I'd be leaving the U.S soil in my lifetime. I dreamed I'd one day pluck up the courage to leave, but dreams and goals are two different things. Only one of which is achievable by definition.

Sure I was currently on the window seat, next to a mouth breather and his child wife but there are worse things in life I'm sure.

I guess seeing as I'll be stuck on this plane for a while, you're probably wondering how I wound up here…? Well, blame Jacob Mother-fucking Black. I didn't catching him fucking my Mom, anyone's mom for that matter. He did cheat on me though. I found him and Shelly Cope, in bed together, her porn star "More…please…harder…right..there." moans echoing a staccato chorus as I entered his home. Nothing quite like catching your fiancé balls deep in a woman old enough to be your mother.

Though really, the saddest part of all this, is how little his betrayal hurt. We'd planned a life together, booked a venue and even had the customary "If we spend Thanks Giving with my Mom, we can spend Christmas with our Dads" talks. I don't really know why though, we'd fizzled long before he jumped cock first back the sea of fishies. It was clear we weren't going anywhere anymore. Our work days grew longer, our time spent together more sparse, and the sex between the two of us could have been counted on one hand over the past year.

The worst part of all, was that despite the very obvious fission between the two of us, he wouldn't just call it quits. I'd been calling a spade a spade for a while, and he'd yet to stop and accept it.

We'd been living like roommates for almost a year, two people who were supposedly in love and yet we were like ships passing in the night. I think he was so hung up on his teenaged promise to my father that he'd take care of me, and treat me right he couldn't really see that my happiness was tied to my freedom.

I had no intention of telling Charlie, that I found Jacob in bed with another woman. It wouldn't accomplish anything unless I planned on bailing my father out of jail.

I suppose that was the first of many omissions.

Unless Seth, my step-brother lets Charlie know while he's away on his honeymoon with Sue, my step-mom, he was probably going to find out about my departure long after he can do anything about it.

If he'd even could the tiniest breeze that hinted that I could be shipping out, and leaving the continental U.S, he'd have done everything within his power to stop me.

In the two days they'd been gone I'd packed up all of my belongings worth keeping and stored them in Charlie's attic—of which he was unaware—and the rest I gave to goodwill or let my landlord keep if he wanted. He didn't but his wife was taken by the idea, it's not like the studio apartment held too much furniture, but Didi was a sucker for thrift and jumped at the chance.

I digress, I guess, I decided I needed to get out. I needed to find myself. At twenty-six I'd lived my whole life by the book. I graduated high school early, went to college, graduated—went to teachers college and graduated— decided to go for my Masters in English Literature and then I lucked out landing a job teaching AP English and Literature classes at a private academy. I stuck it out for three years and…well, I wanted to know if there was more.

The fact I had 'skills' made getting my visa easier, much, much, easier. I was also young, healthy and apparently New Zealand needed teachers.

I didn't have any intention of going right back into teaching, not that I saw myself landing a job at first try anyway. I wanted time to explore the country, meet new people, have some new experiences, and above all else, find myself.

I'd been one part of the 'Bella & Jake' package, I didn't know what it meant to just be Bella, and there was no time like the present to find out.

I hadn't intended for the first chapter in the 'Finding Bella' story to include Mouth breathers, and child brides, yet here I was, stuck beside a mouth breather on an eighteen hour flight. I thought he'd been bad awake, he was worse once he'd fallen asleep.

I worried someone would have to administer CPR a few times, when he'd inhale and seemingly choke on his tongue.

I may have been first aid trained, but there was no way I was putting my mouth anywhere near his. Ever.

I was happy I at least had full charge on my iPad and more than enough books to tide me over until I eventually passed out cross-eyed. If only my nerves would let up.

At some point though, the exhaustion of packing up house and home in a mad rush to get out of dodge got to me, mouth breather be damned, I fell sleep with my head pressed against the window.

My sleep was void of dreams.

"Wah?" I asked unintelligibly as I felt something small, gently jostingly.

"We're descending shortly, Miss, if you'd like to return your seat to its upright position and stow your tray table, and all electronic devices should be switched off." Her voice was gentle, and helped clear the fog from my sleep addled brain.

I noted oddly that she continued down the craft, before returning to wake up the couple next to me with not-so-gentle movements either.

Mouth breather no longer sounded like he was a breath away from death.

Walking through Auckland international airport was something I couldn't quite describe. There were no words. Sure, it was an airport but there was something oddly mythological about it. I'd never been through an international airport before except for LAX where I departed from, but Auckland was something else.

Everywhere I looked there was New Zealand, or was it Maori culture leaping at you. It was on the walls, the floor, hanging over my head. There were massive carved arches that would have been scary were it not for the welcome signs that hung proudly.

Kia Ora apparently means hello, or welcome? Something along those lines.  
I felt overwhelmed and that didn't ease any once I was through security, because now it was official, I was in New Zealand and I was too scared to check my cell to see if my absence was noticed.

I headed in the direction that I assumed was the right one, though in all honesty it was hard to say for sure. It was overwhelming the number of different accents and languages I could hear around me and I didn't really know how to take them all.

I didn't have to wait too long for my luggage, which was probably due to the fact that I'd just made check-in, so it was practically first off. With the one suitcase I had wheeling behind me in one hand and my too full worn leather messenger bag thrown over my other shoulder, I headed toward the exit in the hopes that it wouldn't take too long for me to find a cab.

Hopping in the driver's accent struck me first, it was kind of like an odd mix between an Australian and an English accent.

"Hows'it?"

"Huh." I started a little bit. What did that mean?

"Sorry, um how are you? Where would you like to go?"

I rushed out a quick fine, but then didn't know what else to say. Where the hell was I headed?

"Ugh, I guess—do you know any affordable accommodation?" I asked flustered. Why had I not thought this through?

"We talkin' student hostel? Motel? Couch surfing? Hotel?" He offered, still not having started his meter.

"Couch surfing—no, um. A hostel?" Even to my own ears that sounded like a question.

"You don't sound too sure about that." The taxi driver noted, before pulling out. "Well, why don't you tell me what your plans are here in New Zealand, and then it'll help me know where to take you."

That sounded reasonable, but how did I know he wasn't going to drive every side street and back alley? I guess I didn't.

"I just moved here." I said slowly. "I wanted some new scenery, I guess."

The cabby actually laughed at me.

"Ya shittin' me, right?" What?

"I'm sorry?"

"All good Bub, Don't worry 'bout it. Look, I know where to take you. My brother's, ex-wife's, sister left him a little Motel when she shot through and bought it on a whim. Well, he gave it to our younger sister to run/manage so she doesn't go off willy-nilly now that she's finished uni and is taking a gap year—after the fact. Anyway there's nothing on at the moment so it's got heaps of vacancies. I'll take you there, they'll give you a discount. Won't be a cheap fair though, but I'll give you a flat rate $35."

I didn't even know if he was even doing me a favor, but I accepted the fare and let him take me wherever. This guy seemed nice, so why not?

Plus, I didn't understand half of what he was telling me. Shot through what? Willy-nilly?

"Any way what makes a young girl like you pick up and leave the Americas, to come to little ole' New Zealand?" This guy had some crazy charisma or something, because even though he was a big guy—muscly too—he was so jovial. "You do realise you're in the wrong city if you wanted to see Hobbiton? That's what most people come to see."

I couldn't get too good a look from behind him, but he seemed nice-ish looking. I could tell he had dimples, I noticed them a lot in the rear view mirror, and blue eyes too. His hair was dark, black even, and curly. I could see a tattoo too, it looked like the Maori carvings I noticed, but inked into his skin.

I didn't know too much of the culture, but I knew it wasn't every day you saw an inked up cabby not being forced to wear long sleeves.

"Bub?" Mr Cab driver said breaking my reverie.

"Huh?" He shook he head a little before telling me not to worry.

I wondered if that was normal here, calling people Bub? I mean the only time I ever really heard the term, and not in reference to a child was in X-men, but I really didn't think the sentiment was the same here.

I hoped I wouldn't offend, but I actually really wanted to know.

"Um…Mr driver—," before I could finish my question, he started laughing as if I'd said something hilarious. I'm talking full belly laughing, steering wheel slapping, whipping tears laughing. The car never strayed once from the middle of the lane, fortunately enough. I won't lie, the whole driving on the right hand side of the road was a little scary

"Emmett, my name. It's Emmett, or Em." I nodded my head, he'd recovered from his laughing fit and sounded a lot more normal, accent aside.

"Okay, Emmett, why do you call me Bub?"

He shrugged his shoulders, more exaggeratedly than I'd guess was normal, probably so I could see the act.

"Dunno, it's something I grew up with I guess. I mean, I have an Uncle, who always calls people 'Sis' and 'Bro', or 'Cuz' and 'Bub', I guess I picked it up—or 'Boy' or 'Girl' I almost forgot about those ones. Sorry, if you don't like it, it's a habit I guess. My cousin's the same. I guess its like when you're on a Marae right and so you don't get a hiding, you refer to everyone as Aunty and Uncle, to be respectful you know?"

Hiding from? Ma-what? How many Aunties and Uncles does this guy have?

"Oh shit, you probably have no idea what a Marae is? Or a hiding?" Emmett was looking at me through the rear view mirror and I shook my head.

I was shocked to see him give me a pretty big grin, dimples showing in full force.  
"Well, get comfortable I'mma give you a brief intro to Maori culture. I don't know a lot, I'm hopeless with a lot of it if I'm being honest, but I'll share what I know. 'Kay?"

I don't think he was actually asking me a question, because he immediately started his spiel.

A Marae is like a sacred house, or so he described it. Apparently when people pass away, or if there are christenings and things all of the extended family get together in support. He said there's normally a couple of areas, sometimes they're separate buildings. There's the Wharenui, which is like a massive hall and that's where everyone sleeps and then there's the Wharekai, which is the dinning hall and the kitchen. There's toilets and stuff too at most of them, and the Urupa, or cemetery is normally close-ish by.

Oh, and apparently in Māori, or Te Reo, they have a different vowel system to English. It's the same as Japanese, and there are different sounds too. 'WH' for instance, doesn't have the silent 'H', instead you'd pronounce it like an 'F' sound. There are other examples too, but for the sake of Emmett's explanation he thought it best I knew that. He hated how often people butchered names and the like due to mispronunciations.

I doubted I'd remember a lot of that, but it was fascinating!

A hiding is kind of like a beating, but that makes it sound extreme.

He even told me about Tangi's which are funerals, only they're not as straight forward as I'm used to. Family and friends all spend a time with the deceased, who in most cases have an open casket and they sleep in the Wharenui with them. It sounded kind of creepy, but then Emmett explained the significance and how the spirit remains with the body until it's buried and this way everyone can say their goodbye's, and then it became kind of morbidly beautiful.

I made to offer my condolences, but Emmett waved them off. He told me his Koro was happier now that he was with his Māmā.

For a big guy, Emmett spoke like a real softy. It was really fascinating to watch, and in complete contrast to the way I'd been brought up. Charlie wasn't a big guy, but he's what you'd associate with being a 'manly' guy. He's very taciturn, and much too stoic sometimes, which can make him come across as cold. I think its just the way my grandfather raised him though, to be very no-fuss, to the point, and not overly emotional.

"Hey Emmett?" I asked, after letting everything Emmett had told me settle for a bit.

He didn't turn to look at me, but I watched as his eyes met mine in the rear view mirror, and took that as my sign to speak.

"Where are you—?"

Before I could finish my question though, it was cut off when I heard his phone ring. He'd had it in cradle attached to the dash. I couldn't see who was calling, but Emmett looked really tense, worried even.

"Keep quiet please, Bub, I gotta take this or she'll have my balls." I nodded my head, and watched him take a steadying breath before answering the phone. It was only then I even realized he had a headset in his right ear.

"Hey Baby, what's up?" he said to whomever he was on the phone with.

I didn't hear the other side of the conversation, but it was loud. A sharp and clearly pissed off feminine voice cut through the phone, only just too quiet to make out what she was saying.

"I was just doing one more check, Rosie, so I thought I'd take it for a drive."

Again the response he got was loud, but unintelligible.

"The airport."

This time I think I heard a 'What the Fuck' and 'Cut off', but I couldn't be certain.

"I'm on my way now, Rosie. But ugh, I have a fare."

Rosie was not happy when she heard that, and I could see the fear written on Emmett's face.

"I was going to take her to Alice's."

"Okay—Babe—Rosalie, I'll come back. Yes. I'm sorry. Never again. I know. I'll deal with it. Can you call Alice? Thank you. Yeah. Love you, Babe."

There was a heavy silence in the air when he hung up, and I wasn't sure if I should remain silent or ask him if everything was okay.

"I'm sorry." Emmett eventually said, meeting my eyes in the rear view mirror. "That was my wife. She told me tell you, and this is a direct quote 'I'm sorry my husband is a child. He's not a taxi driver, he's a mechanic and a fucking idiot. I hope he hasn't caused too much trouble. I'll make sure you get to Alice's when you arrive back at the shop.' So yeah, she's sorry, and I am too. I thought it would be fun." He sounded like a scalded little boy, and it was in such contrast to his size and appearance I couldn't help but laugh.

I laughed so hard I was crying and holding my belly, and Emmett kind of just watched me. Every now and then he'd look back at the road, but shortly after he'd be looking at me again.

"I'm fine." I told him, when he was looking more worried. "Fuck that hurts." I kind of cry-sighed. "Sorry, give me a second."

It took me a good couple of minutes, but once I was settled and acting like a normal person, I spoke.

"So you're in trouble, huh?" he nodded.

"Deep trouble?" Another head nod.

"She's going to kill me. Fuck. I knew I should have listened to the piss ant when she told me Rose was going to know. But she just had that weird shifty thing goin' on with her eyes, which really means she wants me to do it, because there's more to it than pissing off my wife. Fuck, I'm such a dumb fuck. Maybe Alice will get her wish and Rose is gonna make me Alice's fucking sister. Ugh, fuck. Maybe I should call Edward and tell him to hide all of the blades, grinders, welders—fuck he'd need to put the whole shop on lockdown. Oh shit, too late we're like two minutes away—."

He wasn't going to stop, and I wasn't sure if he was breathing. I quickly reached over and grabbed his shoulder.

"Whoa, whoa. Slow down Emmett before you pass out. No harm no foul, right? I mean, I don't really care. You've just given me my first Maori culture lesson, right? And it's been fun. It does explain why you never turned on the meter though."

Emmett looked at me a little incredulously, before shaking his head.

"How can you not be pissed that I tried to play cab driver in a borrowed cab? I also have no idea how that thing works."

I shrugged, normally I would have been. Bella of old would have been terrified at the very concept, but I wasn't hurt. They're still going to make sure I get to Alice's, other than being lied to, actually come to think about it, Emmett never told me he was a cab driver. I just assumed he was when I hopped in the car.

"I don't know why, Emmett, but I'm not. It's fine." I answered. "I moved here for an adventure, and you know what?"

"What?"

I couldn't help the smile that spread across my face. "You've certainly helped me start it off right."

Emmett laughed loudly again, before sighing. As I looked out of the windows I noticed we clearly in a city now. We passed shops, a tiny shopping mall, KFC, McDonald's, something called Pita Pit and a lot of cafes before Emmett slowed up and pulled the cab into what reminded me of a gas station, but was clearly a Mechanic.

It was massive. When I say it reminded me of a gas station, I mean that's what it looked like it may have been once. It had petrol pumps I'm sure, or that's what they looked like and a massive cover over everything. In all actuality it probably wasn't, but if I had to tell how big the shop was I'd say you could have at least fit 20 cars in their workshop area and there were four massive roller doors that were open.

Emmett pulled into entrance the one nearest to the shop. Inside I'd guess and say you could have fit maybe six SUV's lengthwise, and still have room to move. I'd been to a few mechanics in my lifetime, but none of them had a shop that looked like this. There were all kinds of cars in here too. High end, lower end, end of the line, and taxis.

Emmett pulled to a stop, quickly popping the trunk and helping me get my things out, before he lead me into the shop, gesturing for me to enter a head of him as he slid the door open. The glass must have been tempered because you could barely hear any of the racket coming from the shop floor.

"Welcome to Mechanix how can I—oh shit, Em, she's bloody ropeable mate. You've gone and fucked up something chronic." The guy at the counter started greeting me, before he saw Emmett.

"Bro, my sister has been plotting with your mum 'bout how dead you are. You're fucked! Well and truly. I'm talking dead-dead and that's even from Esme. Hundy says you're one the couch, Bro." The guy behind the counter looked on the verge of wetting himself as he mocked Emmett, while he just reminded me of a simmering pot.

I wondered how much of this kids ridicule he'd take before he retaliated.

Unsure what to say or do I just watched the guy at reception make a fool of himself, at least that's how it came across to me. The guy looked young though, early twenties I guessed, with maybe chin length sandy blonde hair with messy curls. I think his eyes were blue, and his skin was tanned, from the sun. Kind of like Emmett, now that I think about it. He too had a tattoo on his arm, it was the same style as Emmett's, being Maori, but it wasn't the same. There must have been some kind of significance though. I wished I'd remembered to ask Emmett about his tattoo.

"Jasper, what the fu—heck are you laughing about?" Another man asked, minding his manners when he noticed me.

Jasper hadn't made the same concession, but either way I wasn't fussed.

The new guy was probably closer to his late twenties. Tanned too. He didn't have a tattoo that I could see, and I found myself oddly disappointed. He also had really strange hair, it was kind of red, but not, and kind of brown but not with hints of blonde I'm guessing were from the sun.

Jasper, who I guess was the person behind the counter, was trying to force himself to be composed. It took a solid minute or so but in the end he got there.

He quickly cleared his throat, before acknowledging the new comer. "Sorry, Bro. Couldn't help myself."

"Be that as it may, try and be a tad more professional, we can't have you scaring off business. 'sides, don't you think Emmett's going to hear enough about this for the rest of his life, let's not exhaust ourselves with it now." Just when I thought he was going to speak up for Emmett.

"Oh shit, sorry, we're being rude." Newcomer blanched in realization. "I'm Edward." He held his hand out to me and I reached out in return, thinking it was to shake hands but instead he closed the distance between us and kissed my cheek, before stepping back and releasing my hand.

They way he did that, made it so commonplace, and yet I had no idea how to respond. So I just stood there, staring at him, my eyes a mile wide and soon to be meeting the floor.

"Edward, meet Bub. She's just moved here from America—ugh, she's the fare I was telling Rose about." Emmett finally found his voice, and Edward's eyebrows shot up almost to his hairline.

"I'm sorry, I wasn't being forward. That's just how I know to say hello, you arrived with Emmett, I just assumed you were friends." I waved my hand at his apologies.

It was fine. He didn't grope me or anything, it was a kiss…on the cheek.

In an effort to try and take the edge off I said. "Well you know what they say about assumptions."

There was silence before all three guys barked out a laugh.

"B, I like you." Edward said with a smile, and I nodded in thanks.

"Hold on, you called her Bub." Jasper said, looking slightly appalled. "You don't even know her name!"

I turned around to Emmett and watched him blush as he rubbed the back of his neck, looking at me desperately for help.

"I never told him." I shrugged, trying to act like it was normal not to tell someone your name.

"Ah, and there's the accent." Jasper added, and I was wondering if he was making fun of me or not. I didn't say anything about their accents, but I suppose they're the ones speaking normally in this situation.

Edward smiled along with Jasper, and I guess Emmett was somewhat used to it by now.

"Anyway guys, I'm gonna make me a cuppa while I wait for Alice, you want?" They both nodded, and Edward looked at me. "B?"

"Please." I smiled, noticing he still hadn't asked for my name. Then again I kind of like the nickname thing. I wonder if it'll stick.

"Milk and sugar?"

I nodded and held up two fingers. He smiled before disappearing around the corner towards their kitchen I guess.

"So, tell me 'bout yourself, Bub?" Jasper drawled, making me notice his accent wasn't quite the same as Emmett's. There was an exaggeration of his 'r' that I originally thought might have been mocking towards me, but I was beginning to think that was the way he spoke.

"Well I suppose to start off, my name's, Bella. Bella Swan. I've moved here from Seattle, Washington. That's ugh, Pacific Northwest. I have a Masters in English Literature and my teaching certification. My Mom thinks she's a gypsy because she likes the idea that she's nomadic and her husband, Phil—my step-dad humors her. My Dad's the chief of Police in a small town in Washington, he and his wife Sue, my step-mom are on their baby-moon, she's the dispatcher for the station. They'll be back uh, in two—three days I think?"

I just finished my little spiel when the sliding door opened behind us and something small and feminine wrapped their arms around my waist. Whoever this person was she smelt wonderful. I couldn't recognize the scent, but it was lovely and floral with just a hint of musk to break the sweetness.

When I was finally let go, I turned around to meet my stranger. I was right when I said she was small, if I had to guess she was maybe five foot even, maybe.

"Hi?" I offered, though even I could hear the question in my voice.  
"Hello, I'm Alice. It's awesome to meet you, aye? I've heard great things—great things. I imagine you're going to make our lives most interesting which is great. It was starting to get boring. Emmett said something to Rose about you staying at mine, which is sweet as. We're pretty slow at the moment, so you're getting in just in time. We have heaps of availabilities, you can practically have any room you like. I'll even let you choose. Aren't you cooking in that? It's what almost 30 degrees outside, a little over even. You may want to change—,"

I don't know what possessed me to cover her mouth, but the speed of her talking had me holding my breath and on the verge of passing out. Did she even breathe?

"I'm sorry, but you need to slow down, please? My name is Bella. It's nice to meet you too. If I remove my hand would you be able to speak a little bit slower, I really think I'm starting to feel that flight."

Alice nodded her head and I removed my hand, apologizing again quickly, but she just shook it off with a wave of her hand.

"Sorry, I just was so excited to meet you Bella. You see you're about to turn our whole world on its axis and I'm looking forward to it."

I won't lie, her statement confused me, she didn't seem to care though as she quickly kissed my cheek before she walked behind the counter to greet Jasper. She gave him what looked like a chaste kiss, but then as they seemed to gaze into each others eyes, I felt like I was watching a private moment so I looked toward Emmett.

Looking back at Emmett, I could see a great similarity between he and Alice. They both had dark hair and blue eyes, and were quite tanned as well for what I assumed were fair skinned people.

I knew they were related, Emmett had mentioned that when he was driving the borrowed Taxi, which I guess also meant I'd met Edward too. The brother with the ex-wife and the deed to a motel he lets his sister run.

Soon after, Edward came out from I assumed the staff kitchen area somehow juggling four cups. When he handed me mine, I thanked him, but looking at it the colour was off and it most definitely didn't smell like coffee. I didn't want to be rude, and ask him what this was, so I just took a sip.

"What blend is this?" I asked, noting it had absolutely no hint of coffee in it at all. It was gorgeous though. There something that was kind of citrusy and floral.

"Lady Grey, its all Rose drinks so…" he trailed off with a shrug. When I took another sip, that's when I noticed the drawstring, and I blushed. I didn't even realize I'd been drinking tea, then again, I don't think I'd ever had milk tea before, only herbal teas.

Shit, I just assumed he was offering coffee. Maybe they don't do that here, maybe they were out? I wasn't complaining, I liked this tea. I suppose in a way, you could even say I'm exploring.

I must have smiled at my own logic, because Edward seemed to be looking at me with a raised eyebrow. I just shrugged though. Maybe I'd tell him later, like when I was less tired and didn't feel like passing out. Jesus I was tired and light headed.

"Edward, catch her." I heard Alice say, just as I felt the room starting to tilt. I think someone took my cup from me. Not sure though, my stomach seemed to have knotted itself, and then everything went black.

I'm pretty sure someone yelled Emmett's name though.

Maybe...

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 **It's my first time back to FF in years, so I'd love to hear your feedback. This whole fic is complete, but posting will hopefully happen every 2 weeks so that I can work through chapter breaks which I didn't consider when I was writing it. I hope you like my Kiwiward/Maoriward.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey guys, welcome back! I hope you enjoy the new installment. It's a long one.**

 **Just a heads up, this fic is unbeta'd so all mistakes are my own. If you wanna beta for me, let me know. If not this fic will run as is with only my red-pen against it.**

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 _'_ _Has she eaten anything?'_

 _'_ _How the fuck should I know? I was posing as a taxi driver, not UberEats?'_

 _'_ _She didn't drink much of her tea'_

I groaned, as all the voices started whirring through my head.

 _'_ _She's coming to.'_

 _'_ _Won't lie, I've never seen anyone faint before.'_

 _'Neither and_ _I hope to never see it again.'_

"Shhh." I groaned. Too much talking.

 _"_ _Can you open your eyes for me, B?"_ Edward asked with his little nickname. I shook my head.

"More sleep. 'Night." I tried to roll over, but something stopped me. Actually, someone. Someone who smelt really good. Like, masculine and musk, and I don't know earth.

I opted instead to snuggle further into the whoever was next to me, and then reality hit me and my eyes opened at the same time I pushed off the chest I was trying to burrow into.

Unfortunately I was on the edge of the sofa. I could feel myself falling, but somehow Edward managed to grab my shoulder and stop my descent but I think he fell to his knee in the process.

"Jesus, woman. Calm your farm, please?" Edward said, as he fought gravity to pull me back up. He shifted on the sofa so rather than lying on Edward, I was sitting next to him. "Please, stay on the couch until my Dad gets here."

I looked around the new room I was in. It looked like someone's office. The door was shut too and other than the statuesque blonde standing with Emmett, I knew everyone in the room.

I let a pretty big huff, as I looked at the concerned eyes of everyone in the room.

"Okay, I'll say it." Jasper decided. "When did you last eat?"

It wasn't until the question was actually asked that I thought about it. When had I last eaten?

I was running late to get everything sorted before I made it to the airport, so I didn't get to eat before I boarded the plane. Mouth breather was pissing me off so as soon as I could I put my headphones in and just played music and slept. That was an eighteen hour flight, and I guess I've been in New Zealand now for a couple of hours.

"Um, I think the last time I ate was the night before I boarded the plane. I think…?" I said with a blush. How long was that flight again?

Jesus, imagine if I'd have gotten in any other cab. I could have been dropped off at some motel, and then I could have fainted and no one would have known! I could have died.

With realization I rushed to my feet and hugged Emmett. "Thank you." I said to him as I squeezed. It took him a second before I felt him hug me back. "I could have died." I said as I pulled back and looked him in the eye. "Thank you for wanting to take a joyride in a cab."

He gave me a boyish smile, before kissing my cheek. "Don't sweat it, Bub."

"Oh, Bub, this is Rose. Rose, Bella." Emmett said gesturing to the blonde. She looked at me kindly, mothering almost. I expected another handshake, or a slap given I just hugged her husband. Instead, she kissed my cheek, much like Edward had.

"I'm happy to see you're okay, but how's 'bout we go grab some kai—a feed, uh something to eat. I reckon it's the least we can do?" she directed toward me before looking around the room to see if anyone had any objections.

"That would be lovely, thank you."

No one seemed to object, and Emmett even declared it his shout.

We all filed out after Edward who was closest to the door, Rose was last out as she locked the door behind us all. Edward's Dad's approval clearly being forgotten.

"Hey, I'll catch you guys there. I'll tell Sam I'm out for day and ask him to lock up the shop floor. I'll only be a few behind you." Everyone nodded their heads, as we all headed out through the work floor.

"We're just heading to a mate's place up the road, you have any allergies?" Jasper asked as Alice smiled at me, as she passed reaching for Jasper's hand.

"Mean." Jasper said as he followed behind Alice. She seemed to dance to the beat of her own drum as she skipped up the street. Jasper laughing as he widened his gait to keep up with her.

Emmett was hanging back, probably to wait with Rose so I was with Edward. I didn't really care who I was stuck with, they were all nice, and didn't at all make me feel like an outsider. Well except for some of the things they said, but I figured I'd get used to it soon enough.

It was only a short walk up the street, and the whole time Edward and I didn't speak, but it was nice. Not tense, just quiet. Not that I would have made for much of a conversationalist, I couldn't help but notice the differences between here and home. The roads were different, if not for the very fact that they drove on different sides of the road.

When we finally did arrive at a place called, 'Kiwi Kai' Edward held the door for me. Jasper and Alice had secured what appeared to be the only both, and were talking to a man who clearly worked here. He turned toward the door when he heard it open, he nodded his head at me in acknowledgement, but when he saw Edward he was across the room in a heart beat.

"Ed, mate. Hows'it? 'Been ages, Bro." when he reached Edward he took his outstretched hand and gave him a kind of hug, kind of a back slap.

"Hey, Pete. Too long, aye? But I'm good. Better." So his friends name is Pete. He, unlike Edward had absolutely no tan whatsoever, I mean I knew I was pale, but I think Pete put me to shame. His light brown hair, and green eyes just popped too, given how fair his skin was. Did they make them tall in New Zealand, because Pete seemed tall too?

Emmett was the tallest out of the four men I'd met, probably the same height as Jake if I had to guess. So about six' four", Edward was probably about an inch shorter than him, and Pete was probably about an inch shorter than Edward. I needed to see Jasper next to Emmett or Edward to be sure, but I think he was probably the same height as Edward, maybe an inch shorter.

It's hard to judge properly when he's standing next to Alice.

"Oh, Pete, this is Bella. B, Pete." Edward said, with a smile to his friend. Once again, I received a kiss on the cheek, but this time I was expecting it more so and I kind of returned it.

"Nice to meet you." Pete said to me kindly. "I should give Char a hand, but give me a buzz when you're ready, aye?"

Edward said a quick, 'yeah bro', before Peter was heading back into the kitchen and Edward was walking me to the table.

I scooted in next to Alice, as Edward slid in after me. There were already glasses on the table and three pitchers of water. I quickly poured myself a drink before asking Edward if he wanted one to which he nodded.

Not sure what exactly made up Kiwi kai, I had to ask.

"So I take it kai means food." I started, to which the three of them nodded, "well what's kiwi kai? Food made from kiwis, because as much as I love kiwis I don't know how many dishes you can make with one ingredient."

The way the three of them looked at me, I could tell they were a little confused.

Jasper spoke first.

"Bella, what are you referring to when you talk about Kiwis?"

Referring to?

"A fruit. You know this big, green inside, brown and fuzzy on the outside." I gestured the size with my hand, and the relief written across their face was evident.

"Shit B, gotta be careful with that. Kiwis here are a native and protected bird, they're highly endangered. You know, or we call ourselves kiwis, because we're New Zealanders. Kiwi fruit, that's what we call your 'kiwis' here." I nodded my head. I was definitely going to remember that one.

"Hey, if you guys call yourselves Kiwis, do Australian's call themselve's 'roos' or something?" I asked the table, and I was happy they didn't immediately laugh at me.

"Nah, Bub. They call themselves, Aussies, or Australian's. Some of them can be real cunts though if you call them Aussies, so you know, best not to call them that unless your mates. Or so I've learned, even though really, a spades a spade. You know?" I just nodded my head. I mean was there really a high chance I'd run into an Australian in New Zealand? I'd heard I'd more likely find a New Zealander in Australia.

I was just about to ask what we'd be eating when my phone started ringing. Looking down at the screen, I froze.

I could remember to turn my phone on after a flight, but I couldn't remember to eat.

"Shit." I cursed out loud. It was Charlie, and knowing him, he'd keep calling until I answered the phone. I looked at the time on my phone, noticing it had changed itself to New Zealand time, and it was a little after one, which meant it was probably around 4pm yesterday in Washington.

I cleared my throat and tried my best to sound normal, after holding my finger to my mouth at everyone at the table as a way to silently shush everyone.

"Hey Dad?" I tried to say happily, but it was too late for that.

 _"_ _Where the hell is New Zealand, Bella. I want you on plane headed back to Seattle now. Jesus, do they even speak English there!"_ Charlie roared, his final comment clearly eliciting laughter from Sue who I guess was with him.

I sighed, this was not going to go well. I tried to look apologetic as I looked at everyone at the table. They tried their best to look supportive, which I appreciated, but this wasn't going to be easy.

It was also likely to get embarrassing, and if I could trust myself not to get lost I'd take the call outside. But I don't trust myself not to get lost, and I couldn't see a bathroom either.

"Dad, yes they speak English, but I'm sorry, I'm not coming back. I have an apartment here." Lie. "And I've got interviews lined up." Lie. "Plus, I've caught up with friends here too, they're helping me settle in and everything. I can't come back Dad." Won't.

 _"_ _What about Jacob?"_ Okay, he was choosing to ignore everything I've just said.

"We didn't work Dad, and it wasn't fair to me to have to deal with his lack of affection, and disinterest in me. We grew apart." I didn't want to tell Charlie the truth, I really didn't. He loved Jacob like a son, and I didn't want to ruin that. His infidelity didn't hurt because we weren't in love anymore. What he felt was most likely guilt. A lot of it, especially after being caught.

If only it was enough for him to let me go willingly.

 _"_ _That just means you need to work harder, and grow and understand each other, Baby. Like Sue and I. It wasn't easy, especially after losing Harry, but we grew together and now we're happy. You can do that. You and Jacob."_

His heart was in the right place, but I got the impression he wasn't going to drop this. Sorry Charlie.

"He cheated on me." I sighed, rubbing at my face with my free hand. "I caught him screwing around with Shelly. We're too different now, we were never coming back from the distance and this was the straw that broke the camels back. He knew he couldn't keep me from walking after I caught him bare-ass and balls-deep Dad. I'm living in New Zealand now, and it'll probably be that way for the foreseeable future."

 _"_ _I'll kill him Bells. You know I will. He—I, forever?"_ I could actually hear Charlie getting choked up under his rage.

I was his only child, I'd never spent more than a few weeks away from him sporadically growing up, but I was still in the same country. This was different. This wasn't a different ZIP code, or state, this was a whole other country on the other side of the world. I mean there's a nineteen hour time difference, not that Charlie's realized that.

"I'm sorry, Dad. I love you, I really do, but I need to go. I'll email you." I couldn't wait for him to say goodbye, so I hung up before he could.

I couldn't bear to hear a broken 'I love you, Baby girl' or 'Be safe'. I was too jet lagged, I'd probably be turn into a sobbing mess.

I locked my phone before sliding it across the table—and away from me— before folding my arms on the table resting my head on them.

I wasn't ready to have that conversation yet. If I'd had it my way, I wouldn't have had the conversation at all.

Jacob fucking Black, even now you're the cause of my grief. A part of me really hoped Charlie would go and pay Jacob a visit, but I think that was just the petty part of me that wanted half a decade of my life back.

I heard someone next to me clearing their throat, and I looked up from my make shift pillow.

Edward was looking down on me worriedly.

"All good?" he asked, but before I could answer, Jasper spoke up.

"Did you kick his ass, Bella?"

I shook my head.

"Why the fuck not? That's just skux, B. Seriously, that's such a dick move. You seem real cool, Bub, he must be a real bastard." Emmett said with anger lacing his voice. I was kind of happy Pete chose that time to bring out the food though, because I really didn't need to have this conversation. I left him behind in the end, which was all that mattered to me.

Pete ended up bring out a massive spread. I couldn't tell what a lot of it was, but everyone seemed excited. Alice and Jasper must have ordered for all of us.

There were Styrofoam containers, and plastic containers with food I don't think I'd ever seen before. There was some green vegetable that looked like a cross between watercress and collard greens, was boiled with meat and potatoes, some orange looking thing, some weird—to me—green protein of some kind that looked like it had been cooked in cream. Some kind of fried bread. Mussels, I knew what they were. Stuffing. Something else in cream, and some kind of fritter, but I had no idea what was in it. But I swear it was looking at me.

"What is all of this?" I asked, eyeing the spread, as Pete placed down the last dish. When I spoke he looked up.

"You're American." I nodded. "Well shit, I hope you weren't offended earlier when I—," I waved my hand at him.

"It's fine. Edward explained it's kind of customary to greet people with a kiss?" looked and Edward for confirmation and he nodded.

He looked abashed, so I waved at the food. "So what are we eating?"

"Kiwi kai." Pete answered with a shrug so I turned to Edward. He seemed the most capable of answering my questions without confusing me with slang.

"Well, up there." He said pointing to the green stuff in the biggest Styrofoam container, "is boil up. The greens are puha which is awesome but kind of grows like a weed. Knowing Char it'll have the lightest most amazing dough boys, brisket and both kumara and potato. There's raw fish." He pointed at something in cream, there were tomatoes in there as well I think? It reminded me of ceviche.

"Pauas and cream, with onion." Greeny blue thing in cream. "Hangi, which is pretty much just different meats and potatoes, normally it'd be cooked in a hole in the ground, but Pete just chucks on a couple of kegs on Fridays and the weekends, the stuffing would have been cooked with that."

He pointed at the orange looking thing. "Kina, I think you might know it as sea urchin maybe?" That I had heard before so I nodded my head.

"Last but not least we have fry bread. It is as the name implies fried bread." He said before grabbing one and slathering on the butter. "Oh and whitebait fritters."

Jesus, looking at all this food I wondered how it was possible for Rosalie and Alice not to be a lot heavier than they were. If I had to guess I'd say Alice was maybe a size four. She's got a tiny frame though, and Rosalie was probably more of a six or eight, but they both looked happy and healthy, toned too. So they probably worked out.

I was a little unsure where to start so Edward offered to make me a plate. He asked if I was allergic to shellfish, and when I shook my head no, he placed a small spoonful of everything on my plate. He went a little heavier with the greens, but I was okay with that, and he only gave me half a fritter, keeping the other half for himself.

Still with the plate in front of me, I didn't know what to try. What if I offended them if I didn't like something? I wasn't a massive seafood fan, and they had four different kinds, though Edward only put one mussel on my plate.

"Bella, you look nervous." Alice said off handedly and I blushed. "You okay?" her eyes looked so kind and caring, so I decided to go for honesty. I was certain they'd tell me if I offended them.

"I don't want you guys to be offended if I don't like something. I mean, it was really kind of you all to bring me a long for lunch."

"Suck it up, Bub and dig in. See the kina, Rose hates it. Alice won't eat raw fish, Edward doesn't like kumara and Jasper will only eat fry bread hot from the pan. You don't like something, sweet as, I'll take it. " Emmett said before slurping up some juice on his plate.

Edward didn't look too happy with the noise, and neither did Rose for that matter. "Why can't you toto bread in the juice like normal people?"

Like Toto from the Wizard of Oz? Given the context, I'm thinking not.

Shaking my head and picking up my spork, I started with the paua. I took a quick sniff and it didn't smell overly fishy or salty. I was tentative to taste it because I actually didn't know what to expect. The flavor wasn't like anything I'd ever tasted before. It was most definitely seafood, but it wasn't horrible. The cream lightened it a bit, and probably took away the bitterness, but the paua itself was rather tough and rubbery. I didn't hate it, but I certainly wasn't going to ask for seconds. Moving on I tried the kina, yeah, I hated it. I was actually rather repulsed by it, Edward didn't mind taking that off my plate.

The raw fish actually wasn't half bad. The flavor combo seemed to work, and I almost forgot I was actually eating raw fish. I can barely handle sashimi, so the fact that I didn't hate this spoke volumes.

I like the meat and potatoes, they had an amazing flavor to them. I don't know how else to describe it other than earthy, and it was so tender. The chicken drum stick I was given was so moist, my spork had no trouble getting the meat off the bone.

I loved the greens too, puha. It was clearly salted, but it wasn't bitter and didn't have any lingering after taste. I could probably live off of it. Maybe it was just the way they cooked it.

"So full." I moaned, but there was still so much untouched on my plate. I needed to try the kumara, so with a groan I reached out my fork and cut into it before bringing it to my lips. "It's like sweet potato." I said excitedly.

Emmett who was sitting opposite me, nodded his head. His mouth full, but Rose spoke for him.

"Yeah, they're one in the same I think. But there are a lot of varieties, that ones gold." Huh. I couldn't recall ever coming across gold sweet potato before, but I loved it. Even though apparently it was the same, it tasted different. Sweeter, I guess.

After the kumara I was done, actually. I couldn't eat another bite before the kumara, but I felt a little bad. There was still so much on my plate.

I looked up to see Alice and Rose still picking at the food. They'd made themselves a plate, but hadn't been shy at picking at the food on the table either, no one really was.

"How was it?" Edward asked me, as he pushed his plate away.

I smiled at Edward.

"It was good. I'm not a seafood fan, but I liked it. Except kina." I couldn't help but screw my face up at them, they were rancid.

He laughed, a genuine smile on his face, and then shrugged.

"So B, what is it exactly you want to do here in New Zealand? If I'm being honest, its not exactly brimming with opportunities here."

"Yeah, Bub." Jasper added, as he too pushed his plate away. "jobs are pretty hard to come by. It's not the best economy. Rose is lucky she's good and priced fairly, or we could have been in trouble."

What did I want to do? I wasn't sure. First and foremost I'd want to get out of dodge, which I'd accomplished. I mean I'd saved as much as I could, so I'd be okay for a couple of months depending on the cost of living and rent. I actually had no idea how much it cost to live here, so I clearly needed to figure that out.

There was a job too. The only thing I knew how to do was teach, I mean I had my masters so worse comes to worse I'd be able to teach some college levels here, but still, where on earth would I start looking.

"I don't know." I answered into my food. "I really don't know."

Everyone at the table kind of settled into an awkward silence, and I wasn't sure if that was because of me or not. I hoped it wasn't.

"Um." I asked clearly my throat. "What is it exactly you all do?"

This seemed to get everyone talking. Jasper was actually a student at the University of Auckland studying Psychology, but he helped out around the shop doing admin and data entry so he wasn't broke. Alice ran Edward's motel, which apparently was more of a Bed and Breakfast than a motel. Emmett was the head mechanic at Mechanix, and Rose was the owner and manager, plus she was a mechanic. Edward was actually a doctor, an obstetrician at Greenlane hospital.

They asked me lots of questions, about what it was like living in America. I mean it was hard to answer a lot of questions, when really I didn't have anything to compare it to yet. I was still trying to wrap my head around New Zealand, and hadn't really had the time to start looking for differences. I told them I'd never heard of Pita Pit, in Seattle, or Countdown, but really other than driving on the wrong side of the road I hadn't had time to notice much else.

It was obvious when everyone had had their fill when they started closing the lids on everything. Rosalie had grabbed a couple of plastic bags from behind the counter, after letting Pete know and the containers were split between the two bags. Emmett asked if anyone wanted to take anything, but everyone declined, myself included.

Watching the way they all moved in sync with one another was insane to me. I mean I heard about families being close, and the same with friends. Girls cycling together and all the rest, but the way they orbited around each other and were able to know what the other wanted. Well, I wanted that.

I wanted to know someone so well that I could predict their needs and have them do the same to me. That was trust and peace and happiness. That was family—whanau.

Emmett paid Pete, and everyone said their goodbyes and then we were walking back to the shop. That's where everyone had left their cars. The walk felt a lot shorter now that I was feed, and this time we walked as a group, everyone chatting.

Jasper was actually quite articulate when he was speaking about his studies, and it surprised me. He'd been the most inclined to run off in slang. His course sounded fascinating though. Far more interesting than the intro I'd taken freshman year.

Apparently Jasper had grown up with Rosalie, because their parents played in the same rugby team. He'd met Alice through Rosalie when she and Emmett had their house warming party before they'd gotten married. They'd not cared too much for one another at the time, but as the night wore on and Jasper and Alice got more and more intoxicated, well, we're lucky there weren't any Jalice's running around. They've been a couple ever since.

I imagined there was far more to that story than Jasper actually shared, but I didn't want to pry. Maybe I could ask them later, once we became further acquainted. That was of course if we didn't part ways. I hoped we didn't. I quite liked them. They were most certainly unique.

When we got to the shop, it was already closed. Rose didn't seem to mind though. She just headed inside and grabbed her keys, and went through double checking everything inside, while Emmett did a walk around outside.

I know that it was Friday, but was it normal to be closed before five? Surely they still would have had customers?

Well maybe not, from what I could see there weren't any cars parked up outside.

"Oi, Bella, you comin'?" Alice asked, as she stood by what I guessed was a driveway.

I nodded my head in the affirmative. Even though I actually had no idea, and where were my bags?

By the time I caught up to Alice she was standing next to a little yellow Nissan sports car.

"Cute car." I complemented, and she beamed at me.

"Thanks, my Dad offered to co-sign with me when I graduated, and he even fronted the deposit. It's not new or anything, but its mine. Maybe in a few years I'll be able to get the 370, but for now this is great. Rose did some work on it for me so it's got a bit more guts, I mean it can seriously go now. You should come with us next time we head up north, you can ride with me. You'll love it."

My agreement was noncommittal. I had no idea what I would be doing tomorrow, let alone when they were heading up north, wherever that was. I hoped I could go with them sure, but I was trying to be realistic.

By the time I had myself settled into the bucket seat, Alice was already ripping out of the driveway. She'd pulled her glasses on, changed into second and then we were on the main road, where she quickly changed up again.

"I love driving manual—best decision I ever made." Alice tittered. I'd never realized before how high her voice was.

"I drive stick too, but my car's just an old school Chev. I planned on buying a new car, probably next month, but things changed." I could see Alice watching me from the corner of her eye, but instead I turned in my seat to look out the window.

We were driving down a main road. I couldn't help but look at all the houses as we passed. Some of them were newer, clearly remodelled. There were others though that looked older, clapboard houses. Tall houses, short houses, brick houses. There wasn't a lot of consistency actually. Some of the houses even appeared to be businesses—hair salons, a small dentist, childcare facilities. We passed a lot of cafes too.

The longer we were on the road, the more expensive the houses got. I noticed a couple of 'For Sale' signs, but they all looked like auctions. Judging by the images on the listing they were clearly expensive properties.

Alice followed the bend in the road, and as she drove I could see we'd reached a dead end. All I could see was a massive park, lots of trees, the ocean and a parking lot. Alice actually followed the lot around and then turned left. I didn't quite see the name out front, I was too busy looking at the water.

The driveway was longer than normal and as it widened, I could see a parking lot on the right. Alice pulled up in front of the house though, and what a house it was. It was clearly a remodeled building. Where there once were, what I guessed would have been bay windows, there were now massive bi-fold windows that were pulled open.

The house was tall, three stories, with lots of windows. Alice led me up the wide staircase and through the heavy wooden double doors. I wondered if they were original, or just put in to look that way. They had small glass panels, that a tall person could have looked through. Alice and I, not so much.

Inside, everything was so open. I could see the reception desk on our left, and to the right there was a sitting room. The whole color scheme was very light, kind of off-white with a warm kind of beige undertone. All the furniture had a light wooden finish, with greens, lights browns and baby blue as the accents around everything.

I also noticed all the doors and windows had sheer white curtains, drawn open, that reached the sandy, hardwood floor.

"Wow, this place looks amazing, Alice."

"It didn't always, it took a lot of work. Kate, she's the one who left it to Edward bought it because of the location and the fact that it was dirt-cheap, I still kind of bad because it was a mortgagee sale. She got it for about half a mil, when location alone it's easily worth double that. She only stayed about a month though, and though she thought it was a great investment she didn't want to deal with the drama of making it habitable so she gave it to Edward. She's loaded and has more money than sense a lot of the time—heart of gold though.

Edward had no idea what to do with it, I mean, he's got his own career to worry about. He was actually going to sell it, until I told him I'd help. Long story short, he let me project manage the renovations and then let me manage the rest of the business. I reckon he'd sell it to me if I asked, but there's no way I could afford a mortgage on this place, it'd be crazy 'speny. So I'll just manage it for now, I mean I get a decent wage and I get to work for myself practically. A lot of people my age can't say that."

Again, she had this ability to just talk and talk. I noticed it earlier, but it seemed worse now.

Before I could add anything with the spiel Alice gave me, the door was opening behind me and Edward was stepping through with my luggage and my messenger bag. I quickly tried to take them from him, but he wouldn't let me. He just looked to Alice and asked if she'd taken me to a room yet.

She hadn't, in fact, I hadn't seen much more beyond the entryway.

"Which floor?" Edward asked Alice, to which she told him the third. Edward nodded as if he knew what that meant, and while he headed off upstairs, Alice offered to show me around down stairs.

Because I was curious, I took the tour.

The kitchen was massive, and actually had bi-fold doors that opened out onto a large deck. There was an outdoor sectional, as well as a large table that probably sat at least a dozen. I could see patio heaters too, but given the weather I doubt they were being used at the moment.

There looked to be a low maintenance garden too, but Alice said she'd show me that tomorrow. There was a library full of random books—children's books, best sellers, classics. I think they wanted enough genres so that there would be something for everyone regardless of age or preference. The library also has some overstuffed sofas with the same color scheme as the entryway.

I was surprised to see both a formal dining area, as well as more of a café styled dinning area where they were small tables scattered throughout with vases of lilies and woven flowers, condiments and menus on them.

There also seemed to be large carvings on the wall, and some pendants made of a white material, or a green material. I wasn't sure which either were though. It reminded me a bit of bone. I'd need to remember to ask Alice later. One was in the shape that resembled a fish hook, while the other was kind of circular, like if you curled a leaf in on itself and looked at it from the side.

Alice ended the tour at the foot of the stairs where Edward was waiting.

"I put your bags in your room." Edward said casually, shooting Alice a look.

I looked between them confused. "I thought you said I could pick my room?"

Alice looked at me and smiled. "I changed my mind, and picked a room for you. This way you'll have privacy, we have guests coming in early tomorrow and seeing as I'm pretty sure you're going to conk out as soon as your head hits the pillow, I figured this would be better."

I couldn't help it, I hugged Alice. "Thank you, I appreciate it and you're probably right."

Alice psshed before grabbing my hand and leading me upstairs. She didn't even pause on the second floor, she just mentioned all the rooms have bathrooms and then dragged me to the flight of stairs at the end of the hall that led to the third floor.

I could hear Edward following us up, but I didn't really get a chance to look back.

When we got to the top of the stairs there was only one door, and on it it read 'No Access'. I looked at Alice confused, at least I tried to, put she just pushed the door open and dragged me in behind her.

This wasn't a room, it was a small apartment. There was a little kitchenette, that actually had a gas stove and small oven and a small full-sized fridge. The bedroom had a King sized bed. There was also a sitting area, a decent sized TV as well as a desk, and a two seater dinning set.

"Guys, I thought you said a room. This is a whole apartment, and why did it have no access on the door?" Out of shock my voice kept rising in pitch and it sounded absolutely horrible, but I didn't know what else to say. Or how else to say it apparently.

"Sit down, Bella. We'd like to propose something to you." Edward said calmly, pointing to the sectional. He didn't waste time folding himself into the seat and waiting for Alice and I to join him.

Alice plopped down next to her brother, and I sat at the end, a whole person away from the pair of them.

"We don't bite Bella." Alice noted looking at the space between us. I shrugged in response, making her sigh.

Edward cleared his throat, bringing my attention back to him and his proposal.

"Yes, this is an apartment and not a room. However, we'd like for you to stay here. This room isn't a part of the business side of things, it was actually remodeled for me, but before it was finished Jasper asked me to move in with him so it's been pretty empty for about a year." I nodded, so now I understood why they wanted someone in here, but why didn't they just make it a vacancy?

Edward must have seen the question in my eyes.

"We didn't know what we could charge for the room, and then we figured we'd just leave it." That sounded logical.

But it still didn't seem right. "How is that anyway to run a business though?"

"Up until last week, we were packed. It was a mad house. People were looking everywhere for accommodation because Big Gay Out was over at the park. We'd never seen so many people. We ran out of trundles and pillows, Emmett had to shoot to Briscoes and buy more. We'd never been so hectic." Alice said, without actually answering my question.

"If we'd have remodeled this into a few rooms, we wouldn't have been able to operate for months. The noise alone would have made sure we had no business, add to that workers traipsing up and down the stairs. It was better to just leave it as is."

That made sense I guess. It worked out better for them to keep the business they had happy, than to have no business at all for an extended period of time.

"How much would you charge?" I asked hesitantly. This place was amazing, location wise, and with the view the place was better than my apartment.

I looked between Alice and Edward. They looked at me, then looked at each other, before looking at me.

Alice asked the question. "How much did you pay for your apartment in Seattle?"

"About twelve hundred, plus utilities." I answered quickly wondering where this was going.

"How much were they approximately?" Edward asked, leaning down resting his elbows on his bent knees.

"One-fifty I guess, or around that." Alice and Edward looked at each other before nodding their heads.

"Well then, how about three-thirty a week, utilities included and breakfast." I looked at Alice with a raised eyebrow.

She just shrugged. "We're a bed and breakfast Bella, you can have breakfast here too. Oh, remind me to grab you the wi-fi password. You're going to want to connect to the one called Get Your Own Wifi, that's the one in the office. The guest network has a slower bit speed—it slows right up too when we're busy, and if you're going to be here a while that'll suck. You couldn't download an email in under five minutes, Lord help anyone who tries to download anything HD. Lucky we mostly get retirees or people trying to get away."

I looked at Edward, a little unsure who was actually making the decisions here.

"She's not kidding. Too much time on the guest network gets old fast. We're looking into getting that upgraded when we get fibre in the area, but we're waiting for them to get back to us. The proxy we use is what makes it slower. "

I didn't know what that was, but I had a fair idea so I just nodded my head.

"So, yes or no? If you say yes now you won't be lying to your father." Alice said trailed off in sing-song making me smile.

It would be nice to know I didn't lie to my father. Well, in this regard at least.

"Will I need to pay a bond or anything?" Again, they looked at each other.

"Two-hundred dollar bond." Edward answered to which Alice nodded her head.

"Aren't you short changing yourselves?" I couldn't help but ask. Normally wouldn't I be expected to pay a bond, and a month in advanced.

"Bella, this unit has been making no income at all. We're not ripping ourselves off. It's fine. Now, would you like to live here?" Edward asked firmly and I nodded. I did, I really did. I hoped I might even be able to see more of them, all of them.

"Good, its settled then. We'll leave you get settled in, I need to go home and crash anyway. Alice will be downstairs. Sorry, you don't have a land line, we'll get that put in for you. I guess if you need any of us, text us. Here…" He fixed around in his wallet and produced a card, Alice was handing him a pen. I watched as he scribbled down a few lines on the back before handing the card to Alice, who wrote a few more lines. "Those are all of our numbers, if you want a hand with anything, or I don't know wanna know how to get 'round or need a decent feed, flick us a text, or call us. Kay?"

Edward and Alice both kissed my cheek in farewell before seeing themselves out. I laughed when Alice ducked in again and put a note of the kitchen counter. The wi-fi password she'd informed me before leaving again, after repeating the words "I'm not here, I'm not here." I shook my head at her kind of crazy, but didn't mind it in the least.

She was clearly an odd sort, but the best kind. They all were. I wondered if that was something they breed here, or was it perhaps a matter of parenting. Nature versus nurture?

I looked around my space, and couldn't help but smile. This was mine. It wasn't ultimate luxury, though it was most definitely a step up from where I imagined myself.

It was perfect, and if I could see more of Alice, Edward, Emmett, Rosalie and Jasper all the better. I hoped I'd be able to call them friends, because if I had learned anything from our encounters it was that New Zealand slang, and the Maori that they seem to get thrown into conversation was going to confuse me.

With a sigh and a shake of my head, I gave my room one more glance before crossing the floor and flopping down on my bed. I'd worry about my luggage later, with my feet dangling off the side of the bed I drifted off to sleep. My head burrowed into the soft downy pillows.

It felt like heaven, and sleep was incredibly easy to come by, my dreams filled with green and blue, and amazing scenery.

I don't think it mattered what Charlie tried to tell me. I was beginning to really like New Zealand, and in time I may even love it.

The next morning my dreams were woken by an earthquake. Well, what translated to an earthquake in dreamland. When the cabana I'd been relaxing under, sipping a long island ice tea started shaking, I startled gasping as I grabbed the first thing my hands landed on and squeezed.

My eyes snapped open as I felt something raining down on my skin. I was dazed in my surroundings, and the bright light flooding the room didn't help my confusion either.

"Thank fuck." I heard someone exclaim to my right, and turning my head to the right everything came flooding back to me.

I was in my apartment, at Alice's, in Auckland, New Zealand and Alice was standing me over the bed looking incredibly relieved.

"Wah?" I groaned unintelligibly, trying to rub the sleep from my eyes. Damn, jet lag sucks. I don't think it helped I almost lost an entire day traveling.

"Why did you wake me up? I was having a lovely dream, Alice." I yawned, as I sat up, rubbing my eyes before stretching my arms up over my head.

Alice just looked at me, her eyes wide and then she turned towards the door as it was thrown open. Edward, and a tall blonde man I didn't recognize walking in behind him.

Both men looked evidently relieved when they saw me sitting up in bed, awake.

"Not that I don't love the company, but why are you here?" I won't lie, I actually was happy they were here. I thought I came here to be alone, but the chance that I could have people to rely on here was hitting me relatively close to home.

In reality they didn't know me from Eve, yet they appeared genuine in their concern, and very willing to help me.

"Good to see you awake, Bella." Edward said kindly, as he turned to the man with him. "Shit, sorry B, this my dad Carlisle. Dad, Bella."

I smiled and waved at Carlisle, trying to see the resemblance in his features to his children. Alice and Emmett got his eyes, but his fine features were definitely resembled in Edward, Alice too. They had the same coloring too, blonde hair aside.

"Nice to meet you, Bella." Carlisle said politely, though I could see him surveying me, for want for a better word.

He clearly wasn't checking me out, but his eyes were scanning me.

"Okay, can someone please tell me what's going on?" I scanned the eyes in the room waiting to see who'd be willing to explain. I mean, if I was any other guest I'm fairly certain they'd have a complaint on their hands.

"Bella, you slept all of yesterday away. Scared the bejesus out of me, when I checked on you this morning you were so fast asleep I couldn't wake you. I shook you, called your name. Nothing woke you up—so I called Edward, and he was concerned so he called Dad and here we are. How do you feel? Are you hungry? I'll go and get you something to eat."

I grabbed Alice's arm before she could dash off. "I'm fine. I was tired, I didn't really get too much sleep on the plane. My body just wanted to rest." Alice wasn't looking at me for confirmation she turned to her father. Only when he nodded his head did she sit back down on the bed.

"Alice, why don't you bring up some refreshments, and some fruit, toast too if they have it. I'm sure you'll feel better after Bella's had something to eat." Alice shot off the bed and out the door before Carlisle finished what he was saying.

As the door slammed behind Alice, Carlisle took he previous seat. "Bella have you felt any dizziness, lightheadedness, nausea, discomfort or anything along the lines of not feeling well?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "Oh wait, I fainted yester—ugh the other day."

I wondered if they'd have grown worried if I asked them what day it was. Under the assumption I slept the whole day away, that would make today Saturday… I think?

"Alice mentioned that." Carlisle said evenly. "Do you recall hitting your head when you fainted?"

I shook my head.

"How do you feel about a blood test, Bella?"

I hate them like the devil himself, however that would be rude to say to someone clearly trying to help me.

"I don't have medical insurance or anything like that. I don't even know how to get any of that. I need to visit all of the places. Where do I get a social security number, or the New Zealand equivalent?"

Carlisle chuckled a little.

"How about you let me worry about whether or not you're covered, and as for your IRD number, you'll have to get the forms and fill them out. You should be able to check online."

Well there goes getting out of the blood test. "Why on earth would my not having insurance be your issue?" My tone was a little more frustrated than I intended, but Carlisle didn't seem to care.

"Well it's my practice, so I'm fairly certain you'll be fine."

Oh. Doctor Daddy owns his practice.

"Thank you, Carlisle. Ugh, Dr Carlisle? I really don't think its necessary though. I mean I feel fine now. I probably just slept it off."

"I can't force you to do anything you don't want to, Bella." Carlisle said kindly. "Though I do wish you'd reconsider for the sake of everyone involved. Alice has grown quite fond of you, which means she won't be inclined to let up until she knows beyond a shadow of a doubt that you're okay."

Folding my arms across and bowing my head, I conceded. He was worse than Charlie! It was the look, the _'I'm a father, therefore I know all'_ look. Carlisle had that look down to a fine art, though with kids like his, I imagine he'd have been pretty awesome.

"Excellent. I'll let you get ready for the day." Carlisle said as he rose to his feet. "Edward placate your sister until you bring Bella in."

Edward nodded his head as he saluted his father. I actually forgot he'd been in the room the whole time. He'd been so quiet.

"Cullen."

I turned to Edward, to see a smile on his face. "Excuse me?"

"Our last name, it's Cullen. That's what Dad goes by when you refer to him as doctor though I'm pretty sure you can just call him Carlisle." Edward shrugged as I tried the names out.

Carlisle Cullen. Edward Cullen. Alice Cullen. Emmett Cullen.

Where on earth did you get a name like Emmett anyway?

"Is Emmett a family name?" Edward looked at me with an eyebrow raised.

"What makes you ask that?"

"It's not exactly a common name, and I've never met an Emmett before. Thought maybe you could shed some light." I shrugged. If he asked me, I'd tell him Renee was doped up on narcotic pain relief from delivery and thought Isabella sounded pretty. Charlie said she'd originally wanted to call me Elizabetha—not Elizabeth, she thought Elizabetha sounded better—so I'm relieved that didn't happen.

"Well, the Cullens originate from Ireland. I think it was nineteen oh one when we migrated here, and yeah. As the story goes our Grandfather, Edward senior had told my mother Emmett's name would be Carlisle Emmett Cullen when he was three weeks old because my mother hadn't named him. Mum didn't like that though, and turned around and told him that his name was Emmett Dale Cullen. Dad didn't find out until he got home from work, and it was too late to say anything, because Papa drove her straight to the court house to submit his birth certificate.

"Senior was a pretty hearty guy, the strongest man I knew. I used to think he was a really cold man, but as he aged I realized he wasn't cold or hard he was just brought up old school. He loved us in his own way, like how he always had Jelly Tips, or Memphis Meltdowns, and Eskimo pies in the freezer for us. Alice told him once her favorite cereal was Cocoa Pops and he always had some in the pantry for her."

Edward trailed off with a dreamy smile, and I kind of wished I have had the chance to have met the man. The way Edward described him, well he reminded me of Charlie. Hard exterior with a gooey crème filling.

"Your grandfather reminds me of Charlie, my dad. He's the same. People think he's this hardened cop, but underneath it all he's my dad. You know I fainted at the sight of blood in a lab and Charlie drove from the station with his sirens on because he was so freaked. I'd completely blacked out, but he actually carried me from class and strapped me into the cruiser. Doctor Gerandy was shocked when Charlie carried me into the hospital. By that point I was fighting him to walk because I felt fine." I watched as Edward shook his head laughing at me.

I couldn't help but give him a playful glare before continuing with my story. "Anyway after a blood test, which almost made me faint again and a quick checkup, Doctor Gerandy told Charlie I was fine. The good ole' Chief was still freaking out though and trying to comfort me, and patting my shoulder telling me 'I'd be okay'. It was probably the most endearing moment I'd have ever had with my father."

Edward was looking at me a little confused. It was as if he wanted to say something but was afraid he'd offend me or something.

"Just ask me, Edward."

He let out a heavy sigh before looking at me. "Um, is that an American thing?"

Confused, I looked at him hoping to find answers in his face. I got nothing though.

"Is what an American thing?"

"Calling your parents by their first name. I mean I'd get a hiding from either of my parents if they heard me even refer to them by their name. Jesus, and don't get me started on what Koro and Māmā would have done."

It took me a second to remind what a Koro and Māmā were—grandparents. Edward actually looked proud, when he realized I knew what he'd meant.

"I call Charlie, Charlie just because. I mean, I don't often call him Charlie to his face and when I do he's quick to correct me, but he doesn't seem to mind me referring to him as Charlie. It was something I picked up when I lived with my Mom, she only called him Charlie not 'your dad' or 'your father'. I was only ever with her a few weeks a year, but I guess it was long enough to stick."

We settled in silence for a while, Edward offering me to help unpack. Though the offer was kind, I turned it down. It was only my clothes I had to unpack. I doubted it would take too long, and I didn't think our friendship was quite at that level yet.

"Hey, where did Alice go?" I asked, realizing she'd been gone for almost half and hour and Edward and I had slipped into comfortable silence.

Edward pulled his phone from his pocket to check to see if he had any calls, or texts. There were none.

"I thought she was getting toast and fruit. How long does that take?"

Edward grew thoughtful for a minute, and then rose to his feet offering me a hand as he helped me off the bed.

"It should only have taken maybe ten minutes tops. She's up to something. Let's go." Edward said hurriedly as he rushed out of the room.

Edward was taking the stairs three at a time and I was struggling to keep pace with him. He quickly led me into to the kitchen and when we got there, we were greeted with a haggard and crying Alice, blackened toast and a burned coffee pot.

"Fuck!" Edward exclaimed, before quickly switching off the percolator, throwing the toast out the window for the birds and sitting Alice down on to a stool.

"What'd you do Alice?" Edward said softly, trying to get Alice to look at him.

"I cut my finger off." She whimpered, and I couldn't help but cast my eyes around trying to look for her finger. Lord knows what I would have done with it. I actually think I would have screamed. Come to think of it, I know I would've screamed if I saw a finger or any human body part unattached to a human body.

Edward didn't seem at all bothered by her injury and fought her to see her finger. When she finally gave up, and he held up her hand that she'd wrapped up tightly with a dish towel, he shook his head.

"Bella, how squeamish are you around blood?" I looked at Edward like he must be retarded.

"I faint on site, and get sick to my stomach around the s—." And then it hit me, the scent of blood. The coopery, metallic scent that had my stomach revolting. I rushed to the sink, relieved to see it void of dishes and threw up.

Actually, vomiting would have been preferable to the dry heaving I ended up doing instead. There was nothing to bring up. I hadn't eaten in a day.

"Ugh, she's not even vomiting but it's making me feel like spewing." I heard Alice groan.

Edward gave Alice instructions to do something, but I wasn't paying attention. I was more worried about the unease in my stomach and praying Alice's finger would reattach itself and stop bleeding.

Edward started rubbing my back before he handed me a bottle of water. I was a bit shaky, so he opened the bottle for me. I sipped it slowly, happy that I couldn't smell blood anymore.

Edward helped me away from the sink and onto the stool Alice had previously occupied when a freaking out Jasper ran through the kitchen doors.

"Where is she? Where's her finger? Did you put it on ice? I need to call Carlisle—did you call Carlisle?"

"Bro." Edward said calmly, holding his hands out the same way you would if you were trying to calm down a small child or spooked horse. "Calm the fuck down, she's fine. It's not cut off, but it is cut. It won't even need stitches, she's just be'n a Hollywood. She went to wash it, and grab a plaster. She'll be in her office trying not to chunder."

Jasper didn't say anything as he turned on his heel to track down Alice.

Thirty minutes later Alice and Jasper walked through the kitchen doors, both a little disheveled. Alice did have a band-aid on her finger now, and Jasper declared surgery a success.

"What—," Edward started before cutting himself off and shaking his head. "You know what, seeing as surgery was a success, you're fit to clean up your mess. B, you wanna come for a ride? I wanna hit up Countdown and I figure you might want some stuff too."

I nodded my head, asking if he could wait for me while I had a shower. He promised he was in no hurry and decided he'd go over the books for a bit.

I didn't actually want Edward to wait too long for me, so I rushed through my shower, opting not to wash my hair. The weather looked pretty warm outside so I threw on one of the long tank dresses Renee had gifted me and a pair of flip-flops.

I quickly tore through my messenger bag until I found my wallet, and groaned when I also happened upon my phone. It was dead flat, and I wondered just how many angry texts I'd have waiting for me, let alone voicemails.

I dug out my charger, but realized I needed to get an adapter so I could plug my phone in. Sighing, I brought my phone with me and my wallet and headed back downstairs. I got a little bit lost looking for Edward's office, but I found it eventually. Edward clearly hadn't been lying when he said he had paperwork to go through.

When I knocked on his door, he was sitting on his floor cross legged surrounded by various stacks of paper. Edward's eyes met mine and he looked a little stressed.

"You okay?" I asked with a furrowed brow.

Edward bit his lip as he rubbed the back of his neck. He looked like he was about to say something, but instead he just shook his head.

"I think I should leave this to Alice. She's a lot better at it." Edward actually sounded a bit upset.

Confused I looked at him.

"Isn't this Alice's job? To manage the place and deal with," I gestured with my hands to the piles of paperwork he'd surrounded himself with. "that."

Edward actually looked like a little boy when he started tidying the piles and putting back to what I assumed were their homes.

Once everything seemed to have been put away Edward looked up at me. "You ready to go?"

I nodded my head and was just about to turn on my heel when I noticed a familiar looking white cord. "Please tell me I can use your phone charger, my phones dead."

I showed him my phone, and it's black screen. Edward just smiled and told me to go for it.

I plugged my phone in, and Edward let me out of the office first, so he could lock it behind him.

Apparently we were only going up the road, but he wanted to make sure he had all the paperwork back in the right place before Alice noticed. Edward warned she's anal-retentive and hates things out of place. He's certain she has mild OCD.

It only took about ten minutes to drive to Countdown. It was a cute little grocery store, it didn't even have a deli section which irked Edward. He was just happy he only needed a few things, otherwise we'd have needed to go into the Westfields, the closest mall, to go to the full sized store.

I just went along with what he was saying as we perused the aisles. I don't really know what I needed yet, I hadn't gone through the kitchen so I didn't know if there was anything in there.

As we hit the confectionary aisle, I asked Edward to point out the candy from New Zealand. Edward smiled cheekily at me, telling me 'candy' as I called it goes by the term 'lolly' here.

Edward grabbed a couple of things he wanted me to try. It was chocolate, Whittakers, he'd grabbed Hokey Pokey and Ln'P. He went further down the aisle and grabbed some chips too, Twisties, Rashuns and Popper Jacks, he also grabbed a bag of original chips.

In the end I just tagged behind Edward while he put things he was certain I needed to try sooner rather than later. We arrived at the register when Edward remembered something else and rushed off to grab it. He came back with a tub of ice cream, and a packet of ' _lollies'._

"Hey, Edward." The cashier greeted familiarly. Edward nodded toward the girl and smiled, but didn't acknowledge her much more beyond that. Edward started idly chatting to me, and it wasn't until the cashier was asking if I had a OneCard that I realized she'd scanned everything together.

Edward stepped in front of the EFTPOS machine quickly, swiping his OneCard and then inserted his Debit Card. I stood there stupefied at Edward for paying for everything, but he just shrugged his shoulders and headed toward the car, his hands full.

When we got to his car, which was an Audi SUV, he quickly popped the trunk. I rushed to his side to open it so he wouldn't have to put the groceries down. He loaded the car quickly, but I stopped him from closing the trunk by standing in front of him.

"Why didn't you let me pay?" My voice was a lot softer than I'd intended, but I think I was just very confused by the action. Other than Charlie, no other man had ever actually paid for anything for me before without there being some kind of return—not even Jake.

What did Edward expect in return?

"B, its all good. I paid, because I just dumped a hundy worth of junk food on you. Seemed fair." He said with a shrug, gently pulling me into him so he could lower the trunk. Once it was shut, he gave me space again and looked down at me. "You do realize I plan on helping you eat all that right? Besides, you don't know how to make the dip."

Edward went around to the drivers' side and stupidly I followed him. When I realized what I'd done, I couldn't help but blush as I ran to the other side and hopped in the car.

I could feel Edward looking at me as I stared out my window. When after what felt like an hour I turned to look at Edward. He was most definitely still staring at me.

"What?" I bit out, regretting my tone immediately. In reality Edward really had been beyond kind to me. They all hand, and I appreciated it, I truly did. But I was also embarrassed.

Edward just smiled at me, not affected by my tone in the least. "I've never actually seen someone blush quite like you do. Your entire face flushed red and even down your neck."

I groaned I turned away from him. It didn't stop at my neck, my whole chest flushed red. Sometimes it even looked like severe sunburn. It was embarrassing.

"Awesome, make fun of Bella." I faux cheered, waving my hands around.

"Simmer down, Flash. It's not a bad thing. It's just different. There isn't anything wrong with different, I mean you have met my siblings. I'll show you some of the things they put up on Facebook."

I probably looked completely confused. But could you blame me, what kind of things could his siblings be posting? I found his family overly friendly, but what did that have to do with them being different?

"Stop over thinking things, Bub."

Edward said with a laugh as he fiddled with his phone for a couple of minutes before a song started playing.

 _I don't mind if I never see you again_

 _Nobody missed you under all that pretence_

 _Save your goodbyes to say to somebody else's eyes_

 _I'm inventing myself_

 _Watch as I go and bring myself back to life_

 _Nobody noticed we were ending the line_

 _I won't deny we had a hell of a time_

 _But it's time_

 _I'm inventing myself_

 _I'm inventing myself_

 _Not pretending to be someone else_

 _I'm inventing myself_

 _I'm inventing myself_

 _I'm inventing myself_

 _Not pretending to be someone else_

 _I'm inventing myself_

 _Keeping it tight and keeping up with my beat_

 _The wrong and the right and all that's left in between_

 _I've uncovered, what's been waiting to discover_

 _I'm taking my dreams off the shelf_

 _I'm inventing myself_

 _I'm inventing myself_

 _Not pretending to be someone else_

 _I'm inventing myself_

 _I'm inventing myself_

 _I'm inventing myself_

 _Not pretending to be someone else_

 _I'm inventing myself_

 _I'm I making sense or am I just talking to myself_

 _I'm done with pretend_

 _When who I am is someone else_

 _I don't mind if I never see you again…._

 _I'm inventing myself_

 _I'm inventing myself_

 _Not pretending to be someone else_

 _I'm inventing myself_

 _I'm inventing myself_

 _I'm inventing myself_

 _Not pretending to be someone else_

 _I'm inventing myself_

 _I'm inventing myself_

 _I'm inventing myself_

 _Not pretending to be someone else_

 _I'm inventing myself_

 _Inventing myself…_

I hadn't realized I'd been silent listening to that song until Edward was clicking his fingers in front of my face, to get my attention.

I'd completely missed the question he'd asked me, preoccupied with the lyrics. Maybe that's what I was doing. Inventing myself. I didn't want to fit the mold set by everyone else I'd left behind in Seattle.

"Who sings that song?" Edward looked at me like there was something wrong with me before answering.

"His name's Stan Walker. He won the last Australian Idol in 2009 I think? That was the first single off his new album. I'm not sure how big he is internationally, but I guess he's somewhat of a big deal here. I mean he opened for Beyonce—,"

"Beyonce's been here? I didn't even—sorry. I must sound so ignorant." I said chewing on my lip after cutting Edward off.

He clearly didn't think too much of Beyonce having performed here. Seemed like a big deal to me, but maybe she didn't sing his kind of music. I definitely wanted to look further into this Stan Walker. I wondered what other music he had.

I must have said that out loud as Edward hopped out shaking his head and laughing at me.

I was actually growing tired of being laughed at. Even if he wasn't actually doing it intentionally to piss me off.

I don't know actually know what came over me as I rounded the car and hit Edward in shoulder. I mean it was by no means aggressive, more like a tap. When he stopped trying to round up the bags and very slowly started turning around, I thought I was in trouble.

I was going to have to find somewhere else to live and new friends.

"I am—" I started in an attempt to apologize, but Edward actually had a crazy grin on his face that seemed to be doing a better job of worrying me more…and then he barked a laugh, shaking his head at me.

"Oh yeah." He cracked, settling himself down and reaching for the grocery bags again. "You'll fit in here just fine, B. You definitely need to work on actually inflicting damage, but you'll fit in."

I think my eyebrows were touching my forehead as Edward grabbed the rest of the bags, and shut the trunk before trotting off toward the front door.

"Oi, B pick your lip up. I need'a hand." Pick my lip up? I just shook my head clearly at their crazy and rushed to help Edward. I thought he may have been about to offer me a bag, but he actually just asked me to open the door.

Edward started heading for the stairs confusing me a little. Where was he planning on putting the food? Edward just kept trotting up the stairs as I stood at the bottom.

"God speed woman." He chastised, with a shrug I followed behind Edward and was shocked as he actually walked up to my room. He waited for me to unlock the door, and when I did he placed the grocery bags down on the counter and started emptying the contents.

He was rubbing his hands together excitedly before he started looking for something in the cupboard. He ended up pulling out a Tupperware container and a fork. I was confused as I watched him pouring a couple of tins of reduced cream, followed by a couple of sachet soup mixes. Onion, I think? I watched him as he mixed it, until he got the consistency he wanted.

"Try this?" he asked holding the container out to me. I dipped my finger in the pale mixture before tentatively bringing it to my lips. It was…good. I tried to peak over Edward's shoulder to see what the soup sachet was, but he kept moving to block my view.

"I'm not sure if I should let you have the recipe. It's a kiwi favourite. I might be committing treason, handing it off so willy-nilly. They might deport me or something." I couldn't help but laugh at his dramatics.

"You were born here, they can't deport you and I wasn't going to tell anyone. You've got my phone hostage in your office." I sulked, but he wouldn't move.

Edward put the tray down on the counter before turning to face me, his hands moving to rest on my shoulders.

"You will learn the recipe when you are ready. I mean it's a kiwi favourite. Won't be long 'til you're watching Shorty and making it." He could keep his stupid dip recipe.

"Now, go sit down. I'll sort this out, and then we shall—" A knock on the door, had Edward smiling. "Perhaps you should get that?"

When the person on the other side knocked again, I was beginning to think I didn't have much of a choice.

When I opened the door, I was shocked to see everyone standing on the small landing looking at me expectedly. Without thinking, I stepped aside and let everyone in.

"Hi?" I questioned as everyone made themselves at home.

It wasn't until I noticed the unfamiliar couple standing in the tiny kitchen with Edward, did I realize I'd not even noticed they were standing there.

I crossed the room, and immediately thrust my hand out to the man, only when I got a better look at him I realized it was Carlisle. The first time I'd seen him he'd slicked his hair back, now it was wet and slightly curly as it dried. He was also dressed in faded jeans and a plain v-neck shirt.

"Hi Carlisle." I said with a smile. He returned the smile before quickly kissing me on the cheek and turning to the woman I assumed was his wife.

"Esme, meet Bella. She's the girl our tamafreakies have been going on about." Carlisle introduced kindly to the woman beside him. She was gorgeous. Her skin was beautifully tan, her eyes were an odd shade between blue and green and her hair was a honeyed-caramel color. I could see the mixed heritage in her rounded features and almond eyes, but it did all the more to add to her beauty.

I only wished I could look like Esme after I'd had three kids.

Esme was quick to kiss my cheek and hug me fiercely. Almost as if we were family, rather than new acquaintances.

"So what are we all doing up here?" I asked confused, as everyone just made themselves at home. I was either too overwhelmed to care, or I simply just didn't care. To be honest, I personally didn't know which one was the case.

My eyes moved from Emmett's to Jasper's, to Rose and then Alice hoping they'd give me an answer. With a frown I looked back to Edward.

He had been watching me, watch everyone else and when I turned to look at him he blushed. It was faint given the tan to his skin, but he blushed.

"Edward."

He looked at me like a little boy caught with his hand in the cookie jar, his eyes wide.

"Well I figured that seeing as you slept through yesterday, we could have a barby and get to know each other a little more." Edward was too busy staring holes in the ground to see the smile on my face. He was such a sweet heart, they all were.

I'm sure there was a chance that everyone may have had plans of their own, but here they were opting to throw a barbecue for me.

"Who's idea was this?" I asked looking away from Edward to everyone else in the room. They were all a little wide eyed and didn't even hesitate to point to Edward.

Edward actually looked a little terrified as I rose to my feet and closed the distance between us. He went ramrod straight as I leaned forward to hug him and only after I'd wrapped my hands around him and squeezed did he loosen up, so I kissed him on the cheek.

"Thank you."

Edward's green eyes were bright with happiness as he smiled and kissed my cheek in return.

"All good." I pulled back from Edward and turned to everyone else.

"So I don't know how you guys barbecue here, but in the States we normally do it outside."

Alice actually hit me in the arm, before giving me an exaggerated eye roll. "Jesus, we're not that uncivilized."

Then she rose to her feet grabbing the junk food, before heading towards the door. At the door, when no one else stood she looked at Jasper.

I don't think he'd have moved that fast if his ass was on fire, but within the same second of Alice's leveling glare he was on her heels and liberating her of the items in her hand.

Rosalie followed after them, while Emmett laughed raucously pretending to wield a whip, as he made some sound effects. Yeah, when Rosalie barked his name from the door he sobered up and straightened his face pretty quickly before following Rosalie.

I'm almost certain I heard Esme muttering something about teaching her girls well, but I may have been mistaken. Seriously though, if they learned that from momma Esme, than she was probably the mother of all ball busters.

Edward followed soon after the group leaving me with the parents.

What the fuck?

"You've got my children absolutely enamoured with you Bella." Esme smiled, breaking the silence of everyone's departure.

I just smiled at her, not sure what to say.

Do you say thank you? I'm sorry?

"Don't hurt yourself, it's not the Treaty of Waitangi. I was complimenting you." Esme reached over patting my knee, and I felt like I could breathe normally again.

Though I was confused.

 _Treaty of Waitangi?_

"Your children being enamored with me, is a compliment?"

Carlisle laughed. "Okay, phrased like that it does sound strange."

"What I meant to say is that you're good for them. They don't often venture outside of their little circle which is awesome because they're all really close, but it's good to see them making new friends. I mean it's not exactly normal for older brothers to go to their little sister's mates places for drinks, and the same in reverse, but that's what my kids do. You know one time, Emmett got absolutely plastered at a party at Alice's friend's place. She was supposed to go too, but before she could leave some relos turned up and it would've been rude to leave.

Long story short, Emmett was absolutely trashed, and passed out on a futon while Alice's friend Wai texted me from Em's phone asking me to pick him up. He is so lucky I didn't drop kick his ass out the front door when he swore at me. So lucky. Did I mention he was also all over Alice? Not sexually but she had to practically pick him up off the couch and lead him to the car. It was a sight. Especially considering she and Em don't have the same kind of relationship as Alice and Edward, or Em and Edward. Could never figure out why, but leave those two alone together and someone will leave in tears."

I must have looked thoroughly shocked, because Esme took one look at me and smiled. "I shit you not, Love. Those two fight like cats and dogs. They'll take a bullet for each other sure, but they're also each other's personal punching bag. Poor Edward is always stuck being the sounding board between those two."

Carlisle sat smiling, and adding his own two cents as Esme continued to tell stories about her children. My god did they sound like little hellions, but they also sounded like well-raised kids.

They fought, but within the hour they'd be friends again. The brothers were always 'borrowing' each others clothes—mostly Emmett. Alice was stealing Emmett's hoodies and Edward's sweaters.

Under all of the stories though, you could hear the love and pride both parents had for their kids and their partners. 'If it's meant to be, it will be' is what they'd told me, because that's how they lead their lives.

You cannot question anything I guess when if it doesn't eventuate it clearly just wasn't meant to be. It sounded like such a sage way to live. I mean, it's like a perpetual silver lining.

It didn't happen today, maybe it'll happen tomorrow. Or it didn't happen that way, but maybe if I do something else it'll happen. Or I can't afford that top now, but if it's meant to be, it'll still be there when I can.

That's how they explained it to me.

I spent nearly half an hour talking with Esme and Carlisle, before they decided we'd better check on everyone else. Apparently Edward was a decent cook, and Emmett actually wasn't too bad either. Alice was too experimental and impatient and had her brothers wrapped around her finger, which was always trouble.

The long story short, Alice was a tiny terror in the kitchen. It came from a good place, she just didn't quite grasp the mechanics of everything. I suppose the black toast and burnt coffee pot was a testament to that.

Those boys had more than once been forced to eat their sister's creations when they couldn't break her heart and set her straight.

Esme and Carlisle filed out of my apartment first, me trailing behind them. I contemplated locking the door, but in the end thought better of it.

Against my upbringing, I decided to just leave it be for the time being. I was in the presence of friends.

By the time we'd made it out to the back deck, the party had clearly already started. Alice was dancing along to a kind of reggae song, bopping her head along as Jasper just watched with a smile on his face.

Alice smiled as she looked at me singing along with the song "So be right here, with not a care in the world." She turned to me holding her hands out. Esme me pushed me towards her as she kept singing to me. "We're sipping on a beer with Katchafire on the radio. Oh-o-oh."

She twined her hands, as she pulled me along to dance with her. I could feel the eyes of everyone on us, clearly laughing along and singing along to the words of the song.

They all sang so well, it was shock they didn't do it professionally. To me they sounded amazing!

"Can you grab me a beer please, Ed." Alice asked, and after giving her a smile he reached down into the cooler and tossed her a bottle of beer. I won't lie, I flinched as he tossed it to her, but she caught it quickly using the edge of her now empty bottle to pop the cap off.

She didn't seem phased that her brother was tossing her a glass bottle. She clearly mistook my staring though and asked Edward to grab me one too. I watched as he was about to toss the bottle and closed my eyes thinking it was going to smack me in the face.

"Uh, Bella." Alice said, touching something cold to my arm.

I uncovered my face, and she was holding the bottle to me. "Beer?"

I smiled, carefully taking the bottle from her I sat there for a second wondering how I was going to get the cap off when Alice noticed my staring and quickly took the bottle back, she popped the top with such ease I couldn't help but bug my eyes out a little.

"You looked freaked for a second there." As she was handing the bottle back.

I nodded my head as I took a long drag from the bottle. Even the beer tasted different here, but I couldn't really tell you what was different about it. If I was being honest I wasn't much of a beer drinker.

"Projectile beer bottle, Alice. Of course I was freaked." It took her a second, but I could see the moment what I'd said registered with her.

"Sorry, force of habit. Sometimes I forget you've only really just met us. You fit so well, that's all."

I shook my head. "Throwing things to each other is normal?"

Alice just shrugged, and pointed to Rose who was tossing Emmett and Jasper beers as well. Hell, I watched as Rose even tossed a beer to Esme.

"You guys are insane." I couldn't help but say with a shake of my head.

It was Carlisle who answered a bemused smile on his face.

"Stick around, Baby B, you haven't seen anything yet."

I couldn't doubt that for a second as the food was ready.

I couldn't figure out what I had in store in my immediate future, but I was certain that if it involved this family it was going to be fine. It was going to be an interesting journey, but I think it would work itself out.

* * *

 **So, what do you think?**

 **Also, Tamafreakie isn't actually a word. It's a mixture of Tamariki which means children and well freak. It's a term a lot of my family use when talking about the younger kids in our family, especially when they're all together.**

 **Also, thank you to Frannie who's taken the time to rec this on her Facebook page and generate some interest. This isn't my first fic, but it is definitely the first one I've posted in years, and the first one that I have ever brought so close to home.**

 **Though this isn't a full representation of New Zealand and it's culture, it's a bit of an outside in view which is a bit like how I felt when I moved home for the first time after living in Australia for 12 years.**

 **Feel free to ask questions because I really appreciate your thoughts and opinions.**

 ***Also, I know this update is a week early, but it's my birthday next week so I didn't want to run the risk of missing my own update schedule.**


	3. Chapter 3

**For those of you who wished me a happy birthday, Thanks! I had a great time with new friends. That being said, it was also the first birthday ever I haven't spent with my twin sister, so it was also a little bit lonely too.**

 **Anyway, this is a beast of a chapter, so I hope you enjoy it.**

 **EdwardsFirstKiss lent me her red pen skills and helped make this better.**

 **Also, shout out to Frannie Walsh over at Twilight Fanfiction Pays it Forward.**

* * *

I'd been in New Zealand for three weeks, and although at first, it had taken me a while to acclimate, I loved it now. I still hadn't managed to find work, but surely it was only a matter of time right?

I spent a lot of time with the Cullen's; too much I guess some people would say, but not me.

I think they were just what I needed. They helped ground me, and were there to support me when I needed it, not that I would have admitted it.

I'd been struggling a few times when Charlie would call. He'd pull out all the stops to try to get me to come home. He'd even forced Jacob to call me. I didn't know why. There was no coming back from his cheating, but even before that we weren't coming back from the massive fissure in our relationship.

I didn't lock my room much, not when I was home and definitely not when the Cullen's were milling about. They often just stopped in for a cup of tea even though there was a fully stocked kitchen downstairs.

I'd gotten to know their friends too. Like Peter and Charlotte from Kiwi Kai, they were awesome. They were so relaxed and seemed to favor the Cullen's too.

Looking at the clock, I quickly filled up the kettle, and turned it on. It was nearing eleven, so I had a feeling someone was planning on having a smoko break of some kind, and I wanted to at least have hot water ready for tea.

I quickly turned on the radio, finding the station Edward had been telling me about earlier in the week. Flava seemed to play a mix of billboard hits as well as the New Zealand top forty. The hosts were something else too, and although majority of jokes went over my head, it was helping me get used to the pop culture here.

"How's it'?" I heard just as the kettle stopped boiling.

"Hey." I smiled, turning towards Edward watching as he kicked his shoes off.

"I come bearing gifts, B, and you're going to love them." Immediately intrigued, I crossed the room trying to grab the bags from Edward's hands, but he kept pulling them away.

"Gimme!" I whined, trying in vain to grab the bags. Edward just laughed, making me squeal when he launched himself at me, managing to throw me over his shoulder.

I tried kicking my legs in the hopes that he'd let me down. Realistically, it probably wasn't the best idea when trying to avoid being dropped.

"I grew up with Alice, you're not getting out of this." I couldn't' help but groan, which quickly became a scream as Edward tossed me onto my bed, before quickly turning tail and running out of the room, I heard the door slam behind me followed by his laughter.

"Dick." I grumbled, rolling over the covers and onto my feet. I quickly righted the covers, smiling as I remembered the shopping trip in which Alice had tricked me into to purchasing them. The set wasn't overly fancy, the duvet was plain black, and reversible, it was the blanket that I really loved. It was black, with maybe a seven inch border that was a Maori design. I don't think the design itself meant anything in particular, but I still loved it.

If I was going to live in New Zealand, I wanted to immerse myself in the culture, or at least learn more about it. I wanted to know what the Cullen's tattoos meant, and why they held the meaning that they did. I hoped that would be something that they'd share with me.

I fluffed my pillows once more for good measure before opening my bedroom door. Crossing the living room, I saw that Edward was in the kitchen stirring tea. As soon as he'd placed the tea spoon in the sink, I punched him.  
I rolled my eyes as he dramatically hugged his arm to himself, giving me the most pathetic pout. "Really?"

"You could have done some real damage, B." He said seriously, and I couldn't help but laugh at him.

"I'm sure you'll recover just fine. I can call Carlisle, if you'd like. I'll be sure to tell him a hundred and ten pound girl bested you."

I watched as Edward seemed to be thinking about something instead of offering his own witty retort.  
"Seriously, Edward, don't hurt yourself."

"Shit, sorry. I was trying to figure out how many kilos that was, but I couldn't remember the conversion. I thought it was one point seven, but there's no way you're seventy kilos."

I couldn't help but shake my head at him. "Seriously? All you got out of that was my weight." He just shrugged.

"Well, don't worry about it, besides, if you guys keep feeding me the way you are I know I won't stay at one ten, and I'd be okay with that." I shrugged. "Moving on, what'd you buy?"

I'd never been one for having things bought for me, but right now, I was seriously intrigued. When the Cullen's bought me things, it was mostly of the edible variety and mouthwatering.

They almost always came prepared with biscuits, or cakes, or something from Peter and Charlotte's. It was always something 'kiwi' too. When Esme brought over freshly baked Rewana bread, I'd died and gone to heaven. It was a massive scone, almost, except it didn't have yeast.

"I don't know if you deserve them now." Edward said rather smug, and I just looked at him, failing to keep the incredulity out of my expression. I'd yet to pull off a pout like Alice's.

"You're lucky I'm nice." Edward said with a smile, opening the microwave and pulling out a container. It was a desert of some kind, and I could smell hints of something sweet.

"What is it?" I asked, unable to keep the excitement from my voice.

"Steam pudding, Char's recipe, I promise it'll blow your mind."

When Edward slid a bowl in front of me, I was surprised to see a cake of sorts. It smelled great, so I wasn't hesitant in the least trying it for myself. But just as I was about to pick up my spoon, Edward was grabbing my hand. I was once again reminded of how much bigger he was than me Edward's hand entirely covered mine.

"Wait, B." He whispered lowly into my ear. He let my hand go and I turned to see him opening a carton of easy pour custard. He poured a generous heap onto the pudding before giving me a smile a dollop more.

"I hope you like a bit of pudding with your custard." He joked, before pouring custard onto his own pudding. I thought he was going to sit down but instead, he grabbed the two mugs he'd left next to the kettle. He placed mine next to my plate and sat down sipping on his.

"Can I eat now, or is there some more ceremony before hand?" I asked in jest.

"Now that you mention it, we really should do Karakia." He said seriously before clasping his hands on the table and bowing his head. I was just about to follow suit when he started laughing at me.

"You're too easy, B. It's sweet. Eat up." I wanted to let him know how much of a dick he was being, but chose instead to eat.

Emmett was the most prone to pulling my leg, but Edward got cheeky now and then. I could never stay too mad at him though. He would get such an adorable prideful look on his face that similar to the kind of expression you'd see on a small child after their parents stuck their art project up on the fridge.

When I stuck my spoon through the cake, it was thicker than I expected and with Edward's pouring skills, it was impossible not to get a spoonful of custard as well. I wasn't a massive custard fan, but I followed Edward's example and quickly put the spoon in my mouth.

I couldn't help but moan as it was amazing. Not what I expected, but it tasted great. It was slightly buttery, definitely sugary and also tasted a bit like vanilla. Even though I didn't like custard much, it certainly seemed to add to the dessert.

"Oh my god, what's in this? It's so good!" I said excitedly, taking another spoonful and all but inhaling it.  
"I told you, it's steamed pudding." I looked at him expectantly as I tried to savor the flavor. "Okay, I only know because I Googled a recipe once for Alice. She wanted to try to make one. Its burned sugar, bu—"

"Burned sugar? How do you burn sugar and still cook with it?" I asked confused, laying my spoon down next to my plate.

Edward shrugged his shoulders. "Do you wanna know the rest?" I nodded my head, and he continued. "So there's also butter, vanilla essence, flour, golden syrup, I think mixed spice as well, water, sugar, then its all mixed together and steamed, as the name implies."

I nodded my head, wondering if there was a way I could try to make one of my own, but I wasn't sure I'd be able to get it right. Just as I was going to ask Edward if he knew how long it needed to cook, I heard a phone ring. It wasn't my ring tone, so I looked at Edward who was fishing around in his pocket.

"Yo." He answered after checking the caller.

"Yeah, of course I remember." He responded, quickly with a smile.

"What do you mean?" I didn't want to pry, but there was something in his tone that I couldn't turn away from.

"No." I watched on, as Edward's whole face had made a 180 degree turn. It was as if a switch had had been flipped and anything resembling the happy guy I'd known Edward to be had vanished. He'd withdrawn completely, and I could see him slipping away the longer he spoke on the phone. There was such desperation and sorrow evident in his features I wanted to take the phone away and tell whoever was on the other line to disappear.

"Fuck." He said with a sniffle. "Yeah, we'll be there. I can't—fuck. Tell them I'm sorry. Nah, don't worry. I'll tell them. Expect us to be there. Do we need to bring anything? Blankets—Jerseys—games for the kids—you sure? "I could hear him choking up, and it became worse when he finally put the phone down.

I watched him look at it, then at his hands, and then back at the phone before he dropped his face in hands. I didn't know what to do when I heard him let out a sob, his whole shoulders shaking with the effort.

Unable to sit idle, I quickly pushed away from the table and kneeled at Edward's side. It was a struggle, but after some effort I was able to pull Edward's hands from his face.

"Talk to me?" I asked, watching as tears trailed down his face.

"He's gone." He whispered, sounding completely lost. "He's dead. Gone."

I wanted to ask who, I really did, but my knees were aching and it was a bit difficult to comfort Edward the way I wanted to from the floor. I quickly rose to me feet, pulling Edward up with me and taking him to my room. If I did this with anyone else back home, they'd get the wrong idea, but something told me that Edward wouldn't.  
I pulled him onto the bed behind me, and he just sat there. His shoulders shaking with sobs. I slid up to the pillows and grabbed Edward's hand, pulling him toward me. I held him around the shoulders, completely surprised by how pliable he was. He fell into me gripping my shirt and holding on for dear life as he continued to cry. I held onto him as tightly as I could, wanting the jovial guy I'd come to know and love to return.

I didn't know who'd passed away, and I didn't think Edward would be telling me anytime soon, so I just held him. I could feel the time getting away from us and I wasn't sure if he needed to be somewhere, or if I should try calling one of the Cullen's.

I looked at my clock and was shocked to see that it was nearing two o'clock. With every minute passing, I could feel my heart breaking a little more. I didn't even know who'd died, and my heart was aching.

I felt the same kind of heartache I'd felt as a child watching my father mourn his father. The earth shattering emotional recoil when you watch the strongest person you know succumb to an enemy you couldn't see, but were left bearing witness to the aftermath. Grief.

It was the vicious kind of enemy that left only sadness and pain. The pain of a mother, a father, a sister, a brother. It was inescapable and even if you'd been at odds with the person before their death, death in and of itself was the biggest awakening in existence. Because in death, we realize the power of our own idiocy, the length at which we'd been too stupid or stubborn to build a bridge and get over our grievances.

I prayed that wasn't the reason my beautiful friend was breaking, because that's a scarring kind of pain that you can never truly overcome.

Whatever the reason was though, I was going to be strong for him. He'd been an amazing friend to me, they all had, and for once I was going to return the favor.

Solid in my resolve, I looked down at Edward to see his grip on my shirt had lessened. Looking at his face, I could see why. He'd drifted off to sleep, though judging by the scowl on his face it was far from restful.  
I wanted to try to find a way out from Edward's grip, but every time I tried to move away, his hold would tighten again.

"Baby B!" I heard called from the front door, and though I wanted to say something I wasn't sure if I'd wake Edward.

"Bella?" I heard Alice say, after Jasper. I couldn't help but pout when I heard Jasper's happiness at finding the steam pudding that Edward and I hadn't finished. "Leave it alone Jasper."

I could hear him grumble, but Alice was still walking around my apartment. "Just sit down." Alice demanded. "I'll check her room."

Alice knocked quietly before peeking her head around the door. "Bella?" She asked hesitantly, eyeing the grip Edward had on my shirt. "What's going on?"

I shook my head, because I only really had an idea, but the entire story was lost to me. Unable to move my hands from where they were hugged between Edward and me, I gestured with my head for Alice to join us. She didn't hesitate to jump on the bed and knee crawl her way over to us. I was on the edge of the bed, while Edward ended up in the middle, so Alice was able to crawl up next to her brother and hug him.

It was nice seeing the tender side between the two siblings. I'd grown so accustomed to the two of them being playful and taunting each other, so seeing this softness was new to me.

"Edward?" She said kindly, nudging his shoulder. "Wake up." She nudged him again, only to hear him let out a strangled "Uncle".

I could see when Alice was fed up with the gentle approach when she started shaking Edward's shoulder more aggressively. "Edward!"

His grip on my shirt managed to tighten as his eyes shot open. Dazed and more than a little disoriented, his eyes were shooting around the room like a wild animal. I was a little terrified when his eyes zeroed in on me.  
"Edward?" I tried to say evenly, though I really had no idea what was going on in his head.

"Bella?" Alice asked over Edward, drawing attention to her as Edward's eyes finally left mine to focus on his sister.

"Ali." He sobbed. "He—he's gone."

The contrast between the Edward I'd come to know and this fragile person clinging to my shirt, was like a knife to the heart. Edward, the whole Cullen family really, were probably the strongest people I'd ever met. I'd never met or known people more determined and steadfast in my life. Individually they stood strong and proud, with personalities that seemed larger than life, but as a unit, I don't think Heaven or Hell could move them. They were untouchable, in this kind of place of their own divining.

"Bella." Alice said quietly, over Edward. I turned to look at her, not surprised in the least to see how quickly Edward's despondency was affecting Alice. Even the intonation in her voice seemed to have changed in the way she said my name. "Do you know who called?"

"No, I don't. Sorry. He's been like this since he answered the phone." She waved her hand.  
"Do you know where his phone is?" I shook my head again as I started running my fingers through Edward's hair. I didn't know what else to do. I hadn't been around death before, or even grief, not like this. My father buried his emotions so deep within himself I don't even think he'd know how to find them with a map and a compass. He'd cried when his father died, but only at the funeral.

Alice shuffled out of the room, asking Jasper to look for Edward's phone. I couldn't hear much of their conversation once they'd left the room.

"Bella?" Edward asked in a broken whisper. I looked down at him, his eyes red rimmed and more vibrant than I'd ever seen. "Stay with me?"

"Always." I promised, hoping my eyes showed my sincerity. For Edward, for any of the Cullen's I would do whatever I could to be the rock for them that they'd, probably unknowingly, become to me.

A muscle in my neck was starting to hate me, and seeing as there was a chance I'd be here a while, I shuffled down the bed so that both Edward's and my head were at the same level on the pillows.

We just looked at each other and even tear stained I couldn't help but notice how beautiful Edward was. From his sun kissed complexion to his wild auburn hair and jade eyes, I'd never met a more stunning man in my life.  
"You're beautiful." I was shocked to hear whispered to me. I could see the sincerity in Edward's face as he said the words, and try as I might, I knew there was no way I could deny his words. Disagree as much as I may, I couldn't deny his earnestness.

"So are you." I whispered back with a smile that grew as I watched Edward scrunch his nose in response.  
Pushing my limits slightly, I was about to ask him to talk to me, but I swallowed the words when Edward's slightly calloused hands gently stroked my cheeks. "I always thought the right time would come, and I'd find the words to say to you."

"You can talk to me Edward, you should know that." I replied, a bit confused by Edward's serious about face.

He shook his head at me. "I knew you wouldn't get it. That's why I never brought it up. I can't offer you anything. I mean, you're so much bigger than I am. You've seen things I probably wouldn't even understand, and you're you. You're so brave, and beautiful, and strong. You just fit here, with us, with me. I don't want to lose you."

Now that I had a bit more room to move, I cradled Edward's cheek in my palm. "You won't lose me. This is my home now. I thought you knew that?"

I hadn't even noticed the distance between us getting closer, I was more focused on his words. Where would I go? This is my home? The Cullen's they are my family.

"You're my family Edward. You all are. Without you—I don't know where I would have ended up, and I don't even want to think about it." Edward's fingers started gently brushing against my cheek again.

"I'm sure you would have found your way, Bella." I screwed my face up at that comment because I seriously doubted that.

Edward mustn't have liked the expression on my face as he flicked my nose, making my face screw up. A beautiful laugh slipped from Edward's lips, making me smile. His laughter died too soon after it began and I watched how quickly darkness clouded his features again.

When more than a beat passed in silence, I could feel Edward shutting down again.

"Will you tell me about him?" I asked my voice tiny. A small part of me was wondering where Alice and the others were, or what they were doing, but I needed to be here with Edward.

Silence hung heavy between us, but it was a weary silence, it was a heavy silence.

"He was my godfather. Uncle Paora. He was always as much of a father to me as Dad." He said with a smile. "I used to stay with him a lot when I was growing up. He had a farm up north, and I even spent a whole semester with him once. It killed Mum and Alice, but it was good for me. He taught me so much. While I stayed with him, he taught me so much responsibility, and how to look after the land. I rode horses, tractors, dirt bikes, quads—everything. I just had to ask, and he would teach me."

I smiled and listened intently asking for more information as Edward started sharing stories about growing up with his Uncle Paora. I couldn't help but gasp when he told me about the time he'd been thrown off a horse that had been spooked by a dog, running in his periphery. He'd received the worst black eye of his life, and another quarter of an inch away, he could have broken his cheek bone, or eye socket.

I couldn't help but laugh when he told me about the time his Uncle Paora let a young Edward and Emmett into the sheep paddock. He told me how he was so determined to catch one of the sheep, even running in his gumboots, and didn't see the ditch until he was sailing through the air. Unfortunately for poor Edward, the sheep saw it as time to take revenge and tried to chase him. Uncle Paora had to let Kuri and Boss into the field to round the sheep up before they could get to him.

It was beautiful to watch the animation return to his face as he told the stories of his past. It helped me see a whole other side of him; a young and naïve side that could still look at the world with hope. I was certain that even with a black eye, Edward was probably still good looking. More so even, he'd have looked like a bad boy.

I don't really know how long I'd been listening to Edward tell stories, when my bedroom door opened again and in walked the rest of the Cullen family. Their faces all varying shades of sorrow, especially Carlisle's. Uncle Paora had been Carlisle's Uncle first, even though there was only about ten years between them.

I didn't even hesitate as I patted the bed and invited them all on with us. Probably not the best idea. As large as a king-sized bed is, it wasn't designed for seven grown adults, and Alice.

It took a lot of manoeuvring, and limbs in places where someone else's limb should not be, but we found space for everyone and able to find some comfort.

The evening passed as everyone started sharing stories about Uncle Paora. All memories happy, and fond. No one seemed to notice when afternoon became evening, and evening became night. They were more focused on sharing their memories and as the stars filled the sky, their words filtered through my ears in muted tones until I drifted to sleep. Buried in Edwards arms, with Alice acting as the big spoon I drifted off.

A heavy weight pressing against my waist woke me up. Blurry eyed, I battled sleep for a few seconds before I was able to take in my surroundings. The weight pressing steadily against my bladder was Edward.

He'd all but wrapped himself around me and was clinging on for dear life. I remembered his words from earlier, about him not wanting to lose me. Seeing the way he clung to me, even in sleep, drove them home a little more.  
I couldn't understand why a man with such a loving family could be so terrified of losing me, when he had them. I only had Charlie and Renee, I guess, but mainly Charlie. Edward had siblings, doting parents, and in-laws like Rose and Jasper. Friends like Peter and Charlotte and probably tons more extended family members like Uncle Paora.

As much as I didn't want to disturb him, I needed to pee. It wasn't easy, and a sleeping Edward was a dead weight, but after some panicky shoving I was free to use the bathroom.

I unfortunately wasn't quiet in my efforts to sneak out of the room, but other than a muttered 'Ataahua' he didn't wake. I hoped I'd remember that word later, so I could ask him what it meant.

I had only been gone for a couple of minutes, but when I returned Edward's face looked terribly disturbed. The light from my clock did little to disguise the scowl on his face, or the way he seemed to be mouthing something.  
I quickly climbed back under the covers and wrestled my way to close the distance between us as I pulled his arms back around me and burrowing myself into his chest.

The change in him happened almost immediately. His scowl lifted, his muscles seemed more relaxed, and he had a much more serene look on his face.

"Aroha…Ataahua." Edward breathed quietly, before pulling my body tightly into his.

The rise and fall of his chest as well as the warmth of his breath against my cheek was incredibly soothing. More so than I ever imagined such a thing would be and very quickly, I found myself drifting back to sleep.

When I woke the following morning, Edward was still wrapped around me, though this time we were spooning. I could feel his breathing was labored, so I figured he was still fast asleep.

I had to crane my neck to see the time. I was stunned when I noticed it was only five in the morning.

We'd drifted off to sleep, rather early, and even though I'd woken up at some point in the night, I was shocked to find myself wide awake. I didn't know how much longer Edward would be asleep for, but I figured he needed it. I quickly shuffled away from him, finding the task a lot easier with all of my faculties about me.

When I noticed Edward automatically reaching for something once I'd freed myself, I quickly handed him my pillow. He pulled it tightly into his chest and hugged it.

"You're such a beautiful Man." I whispered, watching the serenity in his sleeping features.

I left my room quietly, pulling the door shut behind me. I needed to call one of the Cullen's to see what was happening. They had shared information about funerals here, and I knew time was important.

I grabbed my phone from the desk where it'd been charging. I couldn't recall if I'd put it there myself, or if one of the Cullen's had done it. Either way, I was grateful.

I unlocked my phone, but then I was unsure whom to call. I scanned my favorites. Naturally, Alice's named popped up first, but for whatever reason I skipped it and went straight to Esme.

The phone only rang twice before she picked up.

"Bella?" she answered kindly.

"Hey, Esme. I didn't wake you, did I?" I asked, forgetting that she may still be asleep.

"Not at all. I just got off the phone with Emily, Uncle's daughter. They're heading up to Panguru, and foregoing the church service until they move to bury him. Emily and Rachel decided that the only people he'd want to be at his Tangi, would be the ones willing to make the trip." Esme kept chatting, filling me in on the events of everything. I followed to the best of my ability, but I didn't know where these places were.

"How's Edward?"

I wasn't entirely sure what she wanted to hear.

"He's sleeping?" I nodded. She couldn't see me.

"I wanted to thank you for last night, Bella." Esme said in earnest. "My boy's so strong, and stubborn he doesn't always let people see him that vulnerable. Even when Papa passed away, he wasn't that bad. You were there for my boy, Baby and I will always love you for that. Please, I don't know if Edward will ask you, but I will, please come with us? I know you might feel a little out of place, but I promise we'll do everything we can to make sure you feel welcome. You're Edward's best friend, Baby."

I was fighting tears as Esme all but pleaded for me to join them.

"You don't even need to ask Esme. Of course I'll be there." Before I could say anything else, I heard the creak of my bedroom door. I watched Edward nervously peek his head out, and I couldn't help but give him a small smile.  
"Edward's up, we'll see you later." I said, before Esme said bye. They'd all be around within the hour so we could head to the church service.

I locked my phone before putting it back on my desk and crossing the distance to where Edward stood. I grabbed his hand between both of mine and looked up into his eyes.

"How're you feeling?" I asked. Once again, in a move I was almost becoming familiar with, Edward held his free hand against my cheek, running his thumb gently across my cheek.

"Thank you." His voice was raspy with sleep, but heavy with meaning.

'Anytime.' I'd been about to tell him, but before I had the chance, he pulled me into the tightest hug I'd ever had in my life.

"You didn't have to let me stay last night, or talk to me, or listen to me. You could have told me to go home, or to get over myself, but you didn't. You stayed, Bella. You stayed."

The idea of losing people clearly resonated strongly within Edward. For whatever reason he was absolutely terrified by loss.

I just stood in Edward's arms, letting him hug me for as long as he needed to. I don't really know why. But seeing Edward vulnerable like I had last night, made me want to wrap him up in cotton wool and protect him from everything. I'd have gone toe to toe with the grim reaper if I had needed to, especially if it meant I wouldn't have to see that look on Edward's face again.

How do parents do it? How do they let their kids go out in the world? I was terrified of harm coming to a grown man!

Edward held me for several minutes before pulling back and giving me some room to breathe again.  
"So, his obituary was in the paper this morning. Esme said it wasn't flashy, but it was right for him." I offered and Edward nodded his head. "They've planned the Powhiri for around 10 AM tomorrow, I think. Aunty Rebecca and Emily have already sorted the food and everything."

I was shocked to see Edward smiling at me. "What?" I asked, confused.

"Even with your accent you sound like you belong here, B. I like that."

"I told you." I said, grabbing his hand again. "This is my home now."

I was shocked when Edward pulled me against his chest again and just held me. I'd never seen a man so clingy before. It went entirely against the grain, but all the same, I appreciated it.

Edward was a big guy, all lean and ropey muscles, tanned skin and tattoos—though I had yet to see them. It was surreal to feel needed by someone like him, to feel like a life preserver.

I didn't really receive affection in the form of hugs and 'I Love you's' growing up. I didn't regret that. It wasn't my childhood; my father is the definition of taciturn. He was protective, but he was about as comfortable with hugs as I'd be in an MMA cage match.

"Everyone will probably be here soon." I told Edward, and I could feel him nodding his head in acquiescence.  
"Five more minutes?" I heard Edward ask, and I couldn't say no. I did however ask him if we could move to the sofa.

Edward sat down quickly, and before I could sit down next to him, he was pulling me onto his lap and hugging me to his chest. He was so adorably clingy.

In the space of five minutes I found myself drifting off to sleep again, and it was really difficult to fight the lull; especially when Edward started playing with the ends of my hair.

I must've nodded off in the end, because hushed voices woke me. The Cullen's had arrived and were clearly having a conversation between themselves. They seemed unsure about waking us. I couldn't blame them, given Edward's evening.

"Hey." I said, trying to sit up, only to find myself being anchored down by Edward's hold on me. At some point we'd shifted, and we were both lying on the sofa, my back to his front as he held me.

"Morning, Baby." Esme said kindly. "I take it you weren't quite ready to wake up when you called me earlier."  
I shook my head sheepishly. I suppose I hadn't been. Then again, I never was a morning person.

Esme watched me struggling to sit up and laughed quietly. Emmett didn't have the same kind of composure. Edward startled quickly, yet he managed to pull me tighter to him as he sat up. Shocking me, so much had his grip not been on me, I'd have fallen straight off of the sofa.

"What? Where? Bella!" The amount of panic in his voice was like a knife piercing my core.

I quickly turned in his arms, so I was looking at him. I was awkwardly balanced half on, and half off the sofa, but Edward was freaking out and half asleep too.

I prayed he'd find some peace in his Uncle's passing at the Tangi, because this frightened man, was slowly tearing me a part. Yet, somehow, Esme trusted me enough to ensure her son was okay through this difficult time.

I cradled his face in my hands, trying to shush him, settle him down—anything.

"Edward, Edward. I'm here. We're here. Calm down." I rushed out, holding his face, so he was looking me in the eye.

"Bella?" He said with more awareness now.

"Feel better after your nap?" I asked choosing to ignore his freak out.

Everyone else seemed to want to do the same. Though I could see Carlisle was worried by the frown on his face.  
"We'll need to leave soon, Son." Carlisle said. Although his eyes were still intently focused on Edward.

"I know." Edward said, checking the time on his watch.

Edward gave me some space as he stood up. Letting my hand go at the last moment, but not before giving it one last squeeze.

"I'm gonna go shower in one of the g—,"

"Don't be stupid. Use my bathroom." I said, making Edward smile.

"Yes boss." He answered, and Alice quickly handed him one of the bags from at her feet.

"Everything's in there." I wasn't surprised to see Edward kiss Alice's cheek as he passed her and then squeezed Esme to him before heading towards the bathroom.

I could feel everyone's eyes turn to me, as soon as the door was shut behind him.

"Thanks for everything last night, Bella. I knew when this happened, his reaction would be bad but as a Mum, seeing him fall apart like that yesterday was heartbreaking. You kept it together for him, Baby. I know it's probably because you didn't know Uncle, but all the same, thank you."

"Don't thank me." I said quickly. "He's my best friend here. He'd do the same for me."

"I hope you understand Bella, you're probably going to experience an entirely new side of grief this weekend. I just hope you realize that."

"It doesn't matter. You've all been here for me, and I finally have a chance to be there for you, and that's what I plan to do." I answered.

"You're practically an honorary Cullen now, Baby B." Emmett guffawed.

Alice nodded her head too. "You should have a shower when Edward's done. The sooner we get on the road, the easier the drive will be."

"All good." I answered. "Hey would you be able to help me pack?" I was asking Alice, but Esme and Rose agreed to help too. The boys seemed content enough where they were, and Jasper was eyeing my fridge.

"Go hard, Bro. I'm not sure if what's in there will keep, so go for it." Jasper fist pumped and was joined by Emmett as they started riffling through my fridge.

Ten minutes later, the girls had helped me pack my bag, and I was waiting in the living room with everyone for Edward to finish.

It was half an hour later that we were all heading down the stairs getting ready to leave. Between the eight of us, there wasn't a car big enough to fit us all, so they'd decided to take two cars.

Carlisle was driving one SUV—his—and Emmett was driving the other—his own. It was decided that Edward and I would ride with Esme and Carlisle while Alice and Jasper would ride with Em and Rose.

Esme rode shotgun with Carlisle while Edward and I sat in the back. It was going to be about a four and a half hour drive, with a ferry ride in between. But Carlisle planned on stopping on the way so we could get something to eat and drink, and take bathroom breaks of course.

Edward held my hand during the ride, playing with my fingers every so often. He was listening to music on his phone too and didn't really seem to be paying attention to anything. My eyes were either trained outside, looking at the surroundings or drifting between the rear view mirror and Edward.

He had noise cancelling ear buds in, so talking to Edward was a waste of time, and on top of that I didn't know what he was listening to. I didn't know if it was considered nosey or just being curious, but I wanted to know.  
Wanting to leave Esme and Carlisle to themselves, I grabbed my phone from my pocket. I hadn't noticed earlier, but I had a few missed messages from Charlie, one from Renee…and one from Jake?

I read through the ones from Charlie first. He was mainly checking in on me and wanted to know how I was doing. I replied back, letting him know I was great. I fibbed a little, but I ensured him that I might be going out of service for the weekend. He didn't reply, but he may have been busy, or asleep.

Renee's message was normal. She's fine, Phil's spoiling her, and her travels are treating her well. Her life feels fulfilled. She didn't ask about me though that was normal. So I sent my stock standard answer back.

'Awesome. I'm happy for you. Make wise choices.'

Jake's message was weird, and completely unexpected. He wanted me back. He was sorry for being stupid. He missed me. It was a crock of shit, and the timing couldn't have been worse, but all the same, my answer hadn't changed.

We were done.

Edward must have seen the scowl on my face because he squeezed my hand, getting my attention.

"What's up?"

I shrugged my shoulders and then showed him my phone.

It took him a moment to realize what he was reading, but as anger darkened his features, I knew he'd realized what he was reading.

"You haven't replied." I shook my head.

"You're thinking about it?" He asked in a small voice.

"Don't be stupid." I said quickly. "I told you the day I met you, he and I were long finished. Besides, I'm happy here. Happier than I actually thought I'd find myself, and I have you and your family. This is my home. You're my Whanau."

Edward seemed to be holding something in, and I was worried he was upset with me until he busted out laughing.

"Just when I think you're getting the language, you say something like 'far-now'." I huffed in response.  
"Remember Flash, it's pronounced 'Far-no'." I punched him in the chest, but he just laughed at me again.  
I hadn't even realized we'd stopped until Esme and Carlisle were getting out of the car.

Edward and I quickly followed them, to find we were parked behind Emmett at a small convenience store.  
I noticed the girls, standing around chatting next to the car rather than heading into the store, so I walked over to them. Before I could get too far, Edward was grabbing my hand again.

"Want anything, B?"

"Sure, um, surprise me?" Edward nodded, giving my hand another squeeze, before heading inside the store.

"Hey Bella."

"Hey, B."

Alice and Rose greeted me with small, knowing smiles on their faces.

"What's up with you two?" I asked, moving my eyes between the two of them.

"What do you mean?" They said too quickly.

"You two. You look suspicious."

Alice chuffed. "Yeah, and you and Edward look way too chummy, all holding hands and stuff."

"So? You're looking into this way too much."

"No we're not. Don't forget I've known Edward my entire life. He's different towards you, B. He's vulnerable with you, which is weird, but in a good way. He has no issues being himself with you. I think he's falling for you."

I was going to tell her she was wrong, and then I remembered the desperate way he had clung to me. His words, the earnestness in his eyes. He begged me not to leave. I—I promised I wouldn't. I was here to stay. This was my home now.

"Hey, where'd you go, B?" Rose asked, snapping her fingers in front of my face.

"Hmm, nowhere. Hey, they're back." I said, noticing Edward heading my way again with a plastic bag full of junk food.

"I got a bit of everything, Baby B. I didn't realize how hungry I was until I was in there. You're gonna have to help me eat some of this."

"If you insist." I smiled, as I closed the distance between us. He opened the bag so I could see what was inside. "Where do I start?"

Edward dug into the bag and pulled out a couple of wax coated paper bags. "Classic road trip food! Steak and cheese pies!"

"A savory pie? I don't think I've had a savory pie before." I mused, pulling the pie from its bag. The pastry was flaky, rather than having a short crust, but it smelled great. I was just about to take a bite when Edward grabbed my hand stopping me.

"Jesus, you're eager." He mused. "You mustn't forget the sauce." He said seriously before smothering my pie with ketchup.

"I thought I was supposed to be eating a pie, not a ketchup covered pastry." I said looking at Edward, eyebrow raised.

"Just eat it."

I rolled my eyes, making Edward laugh at me before biting into the pie. It was good. Great even. I don't quite know how they prepared it—maybe I didn't wanna know—but the steak was tender enough that I wasn't gnawing on rubber, and the cheese was perfect and creamy and whatever gravy was in it was very good. Yeah, the ketchup rounded things off too. Not that I'd tell Edward that.

"It's good." I mumbled, before taking another bite. Edward just smiled at me before taking a bite of his own ketchup smothered pie.

As much as I was enjoying my pie, I ate it quickly. I didn't know how long we were going to be here, and I was too nervous to eat it inside Carlisle's SUV. It had a beige leather interior, and I did not want to stain it with ketchup.

"Were you hungry, Speedy?" Edward asked when I'd finished the last bite of my pie.

I coughed, choking on the last bite. Edward was only half way through his pie, and mine was finished.  
"I guess." I coughed again. "Sorry?"

"Only you would apologize for being hungry, Baby B."

"Shut up." I punched him in the chest and looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

He pitifully grabbed his chest, feigning pain. Before throwing his head back in laughter. I couldn't help the smile that appeared on my face. Even after everything he had gone through last night, he still managed to find something to laugh about.

Maybe after the Tangi, he would be okay again.

"We've gotta head off now guys, if we plan on making the ferry." Carlisle alerted us, and within five minutes, everyone was back in their rides and on the road again.

Road trips with Renee, though plentiful, were never this efficient. She'd learn a thing or two from the Cullen's.  
When we arrived at the ferry, we were the first car there; having missed the previous ferry by about twenty minutes. We all got out of the cars, and sat around chatting until we noticed more vehicles arriving. Esme had been watching for the ferry's arrival and was quick to usher everyone back into their vehicles.

I wasn't sure we were allowed to leave our vehicles, especially when the ticketers came straight to the driver's side door. As soon as they'd passed us though, and the ferry was moving further away from the dock, Edward was getting out of the car and I was shuffling across the seat, hearing the hiss of leather, as I followed him.  
The ocean breeze hit me hard when I stepped out, but I was more excited by the scenery to worry too much about the weather.

Edward moved, to one side of the ferry where he stood leaning against the rail. He had a faraway expression on his face as he just stared out at the water. I couldn't actually figure out what he was looking at.

"It's a pretty sight." I said offhandedly, trying to strike up conversation as I mimicked his position. The cold railing, mixed with the sea spray did not help my attempt to stay warm though.

"Huh." Was Edward's response as snapped his head around to look at me.

"Don't worry."

"No, sorry." Edward said quickly. "Tell me, I'm sorry for being rude."

I shrugged. "It was nothing. I just said that everything looks pretty."

Edward shrugged in response. "I guess."

He was distant again.

"Are you nervous?" He shook his head, and the wind picked up again, making me hug myself to try to ward off the cold.

Edward must've noticed as he closed the distance between the two of us and wrapped his arms around me. I felt warm immediately, and couldn't help but settle into his embrace.

"Nervous isn't the right word." He said quietly. "I—I'm sad. Really, really sad. I—it's hitting me again I guess. We're only about a half hour away. When we get there and I see them, it's probably going to break me. It'll be real."

I turned in his arms and hugged him back. "Its not real now?"

Edward shook his head before closing his eyes and sighing. He lowered his face down so that his forehead was resting on mine.

"Knowing someone's dead, and actually knowing it, are two different things." Edward sighed.

"Will seeing his coffin change things?" I asked, knowing that seeing someone's coffin changed things for me. Even if the last funeral I attended was for my goldfish. Seeing that matchbox buried drove everything home for me. I also never got another goldfish.

"Shit, Bella, how do you feel about dead bodies?" Edward's question struck me aback a little as I pulled away to look at his face.

"That's not a normal question." I said quickly. "How is anybody supposed to feel about dead people?"

"No, no." Edward said quickly. "That's not what I meant. It's just that, well, we sleep with the dead, Bella. In the same room I mean."

"You mean—I. Me? Explain?"

For the rest of the ferry trip, Edward explained things. It was a sign of respect, and in an effort to allow everyone to properly grieve and pay their respects to the dead. We wouldn't be sleeping right next to him though, that would be his wife, or daughter. Maybe one of his Aunties even, but we wouldn't. He promised. Unfortunately, I wouldn't be able to get out of kissing him, even though I didn't know him.

"I'll be with you the whole time, Bella. I promise." Edward said.

I laughed quietly, more at the situation than anything else. "I thought I was supposed to be the one comforting you?"

Edward just shrugged and grabbed my hand as we headed back to the car.  
What remained of our journey passed by in no time, and I think that it was largely in part to my preoccupation.  
How did I feel about the dead? Well, I'd never had to think about it before. I mean, they were dead. Dead is dead.

I was going to be sleeping in the same room as a dead person. He was Edward's family, but he's dead.  
Before I could freak myself out anymore, I felt the car slowing down. Looking out the window, we were pulling into a very crowded parking lot. Men, women and children were all standing around waiting. There was a group standing at the front wearing headbands, made from leaves.

Everyone watched our car expectantly as we pulled into one of the empty parking spaces. Emmett had to drive down a little way before he found a space.

When we'd parked, Esme and Carlisle stepped out of the car quickly. I was too nervous to get out of the car just yet. Esme and Carlisle were greeted warmly though I could still see the expectant glances of people as they looked inside the car.

Edward hadn't gotten out of the car yet either.

"Haere mai, whanau. Haere mai." An older woman called, waving her hands to gather everyone around. The chatter stopped quickly as everyone was ushered towards the entrance.

The entrance was impossible to miss. There was a wooden archway, with Maori carvings. They reminded me of the entrance at Auckland airport customs, but at the same time there was something different about them too.  
A paved walkway led from the parking lot, to the entrance of the hall which must have been the marae. There was a porch area at the front which led to a pair of open double doors. There were carvings on this building too, big ones, which reminded me of a façade on a building.

There were three other buildings. One was much smaller, and was clearly no longer used. It looked like an old, rundown church. The other smaller building clearly held the bathroom facilities. The last building was the biggest, and I assumed it must have been the dining hall.

"I guess we've stalled long enough." Edward said resignedly.

I nodded my head. He was right. Edward got out of the car first, and rounded it quickly, opening my door to help me down.

He didn't let go of my hand, and in the face of so many strangers, I was already feeling out of place. I hadn't really felt this out of place since I had arrived here.

Emmett and Alice were standing towards the front of the gathering of people which worried me; even more so when I noticed, Rose, Jasper, Esme and Carlisle standing toward the front too.

"Are we supposed to be up there too?" Even I could hear the nervousness in my own voice.

Edward nodded his head and squeezed my hand before making his way towards his family. He apologized as he went, and responded to every 'Hey, Edward', or 'Hows 'it' on the way.

A few people tried to ask about me, but they didn't really get the chance.. Just as we'd made it to the front of the group, an older woman started to call out in Māori. I hadn't even noticed the coffin being carried in.

We were being called on to the land, I guessed, judging by the way everyone was moving forward. I don't know what she was saying, but it was hauntingly beautiful.

We followed behind the body slowly—very slowly, and the closer we got to the Marae the tighter Edward's grip on my hand became. It was bordering on painful, but I didn't want to let go. I grabbed Alice's hand instead for encouragement. She didn't seem to mind.

Edward quickly reminded me to take my shoes off once we'd arrived at the door. He waited for me as I fought to get them off. Once we were inside, I followed Edward and sat down beside him on a mattress on the right-hand side of the room. I didn't know if that was of any significance, but that's where Carlisle and Esme had sat down.  
It was fascinating to watch the ceremony take place. Everyone had a moment with Uncle and said their peace. Myself included. It was undoubtedly the closest I had ever been to death, yet at the same time I found myself at peace too.

There was one woman, whom my heart broke for. She was sat right next to the coffin and was wailing while everyone spoke of Uncle Paora. I'd never before heard a more pitiful or heart breaking sound.

It actually brought tears to my eyes. Her pain resonated with me, on such a deep level; I couldn't help but agonize with her.

The whole time, I cried; even when everyone was speaking in Maori. I cried. I didn't know what they were saying, but I was certain most of it were stories of Uncle Paora's life. Even still, I cried.

Edward was silent during the whole thing. He didn't talk, he didn't cry, he just sat beside me, playing with my fingers. The only time he got up, was when Carlisle stood to speak.

He spoke in a mix of English and Maori, and whatever he said made people smile, laugh and cry. When Edward stood, I followed and so did the rest of the family.

Someone had a guitar, and all of a sudden they were strumming and the Cullen's were all singing together. It was beautiful, hearing them sing with such earnest in their voices. I had no idea what the song meant, but I sang it with them too, on the second verse, I noticed for the first time that almost everyone else in the room, including the children, were also singing along.

It was a choir of broken hearts working together to try to mend the break.

A couple more people spoke after the Cullen's, and then we were ushered into the dining hall.  
Edward was still oddly stoic, but I supported him to the best of my ability. He clung tightly to me. A part of him was constantly touching me or my clothes. He held onto my belt loops too, using them at times to guide me, or pull me closer to him.

I'd never tell him, but his dependency reminded me of that of a toddle; having some sense of independence, however small, but still latching on whenever the opportunity presented itself. We all sat down around the table. I didn't start dishing up or eating when I noticed no one else had, instead I just people watched.

It was interesting to look around the room full of both close and extended family. Who for the most part, as I'd been told, were all related. They were either Aunties, or Uncles and their partners and children. Though I could see some familial similarities, there were faces that looked out of place, and I remembered hearing, between the yammering of Alice and Emmett, that they were relatives.

I didn't get to ponder too long though, sitting at the table watching the food before an older man called the attention of everyone. I watched as instantly heads were bowed, and I followed suit as he started speaking in Maori. I think it was called Karakia, a prayer, for blessing the food.

When everyone called, 'Amene' I knew it was appropriate for us to eat.

There was a lot of food out around the table; I didn't know where to start. I also didn't want to look rude because I wasn't sure if there was a protocol to follow. Did someone eat first? Did I need to wait for someone to come around and remove the cling film from the food?

It looked like a meat and mixed vegetable spread, but there also seemed to be a chowder too, and some salads.  
My inaction must have drawn Edward's attention as he leaned towards me, wrapping his arm around my shoulder. "Are you okay?"

I shook my head slowly, hoping no one else noticed.

"Are you not hungry?" I nodded my head, but I think that confused him.

"Yes, I could eat." I whispered. "I wasn't sure if I was supposed to wait —you know, before dishing up?"

"Have at it, Baby B. Go hard. Stay away from the chowder though, it's terrible." I laughed as he reached for the ladle and poured himself a healthy serving of it.

"I'm sure it is, and you'll be more than willing to consume the burden for the both of us." I said dryly, before helping remove what remained of the cling film on the dishes in front of me.

I wasn't particularly hungry and settled for a couple of slices of roast lamb—which was perfectly pink in the middle—and some salad. Edward offered me a piece of fry bread too, which I didn't care for very much, but I felt rude turning it down. It was also growing on me.

The meal was a loud affair, and very crowded, but in a good way. The sadness for the moment had departed and everyone was happy chatting and catching up. Many people spoke to Edward, so there were a few times where I was mid-chew when someone would strike up a conversation with him. Naturally, Edward introduced me every time. I don't think I've had to apologize so much in any one meal. No one seemed to care though; they just waved off my apologies with a 'No worries', or an 'All good, Bub'.

I don't think I'd ever been called Bub so much in my life, except for maybe when I was a baby. Even then, Charlie had always just called me 'baby girl'.

Our meal took a while, but I was okay with that. I noticed a lot of the older people in attendance had left fairly early after having a cup of tea offered to them by the children. Once they'd left, the few older children—a mixture of nieces and nephews, and cousins of Edward's—got up to help start clearing everything. Edward excused himself, and I quickly followed.

I caught Alice and Emmett clearing off tables, and soon, I was doing the same.. What remained of everyone sitting at the tables dwindled off to nothing, and the formerly crowded dining hall was now full of long tables and bench seats.

Emmett and Rose told the kids who were helping to go outside and play. They'd done their share. It was just Edward, Emmett, Jasper, and I left helping to clear the tables.

We quickly headed into the kitchen with everything and weren't shocked to find Esme and Carlisle, as well as Alice and Rose helping with the dishes. There was also another man and a woman, Carlisle's Uncle and Aunty.  
"Whoa." I said quietly. "I don't think I've ever seen so many dishes in my life."

Emmett scoffed, hearing me.

"There will be more on Sunday when everyone is here, but more people should help us then. Wouldn't be so many if our cousins weren't so lazy." I couldn't help but notice the agitation in her voice.

"Bad blood?" This time Rose scoffed.

"They're family, they share the same blood. They're just lazy and think the world owes them something. They're jealous of the Cullen's; they seem to think we have so much because we just happened upon it."

"But they're family. Aren't you guys all like a solid unit?" I asked confused. They'd never spoken ill of their family before. They always talked about all the trips and things they'd done growing up.  
"We're a solid unit." Jasper said, gesturing around the room. "All of our extended family who're here with us today, they're all solid too. Carlisle's siblings and their children, well…?" Jasper trailed off, looking at Carlisle's Aunty and Uncle.  
"Don't hold back on our account. They're bloody hopeless! That girl is still in nappies and she's two." Aunty Mere said, and I couldn't help but gasp. Uncle Wiremu just threw his head back in laughter.

"You've shocked Edward's missus, Milly, settle down." Uncle Wiremu said. Milly just looked at me and winked. "You kids have done heaps, go and relax. I'll tune your cousins up the next time I see them."

"Are you sure, Uncle?" Emmett asked, though even I could hear how much he was hoping the answer was yes.  
"Go on Son, before I decide to piss off and leave you kids here."

We didn't waste time, quickly, leaving the kitchen and heading outside. To be perfectly honest, there wasn't a lot to do. We were out in the 'whops', or so they kept telling me. I guess we were in the middle of was one restaurant that was also the bar and a tiny over-priced convenience store.

"Did you want to do something?" I asked Edward as he hung back from everyone else.

Edward shook his head and pulled me closer to him, just wrapping his arms around me. We were standing in the middle of the footpath, but everyone else was more preoccupied with what they were doing to notice us.

"If I asked you to stay with me while the others went off to do whatever they're planning, would you?"

I looked at him long and hard, and I could see the sincerity in his face and hear the hope in his words.. He wanted me to stay with him for a bit, and even though I'd miss out on whatever shenanigans his siblings planned on getting up to, I'd stay.

Edward squeezed me tightly to him before pulling slightly away, although his arm was still resting across my shoulders and leading me towards the Marae.

When we got to the Marae, I was shocked to see the rest of the Cullen kids spreading out the covers on their mattresses. Edward and I followed suit, spreading out the blankets on the mattresses at the end. Edward left me, the empty mattress between his and Alice's, for which I was grateful.

"I thought you guys were gonna go off and do something?" I asked, Alice, as I fluffed up my pillow.

"Thought about it." She said quickly. "But I've had-it, getting up early, and then being on the road. I just wanna lie down." To drive her point home, she let out a long yawn.

"You should get some rest while you can, B." Jasper said, before lying down on his mattress and pulling Alice next to him. "It's going to get busy, and there will be a lot of people arriving later today and early tomorrow too. Get your rest while you can."

Before I could say anything back, I watched as Jasper snuggled down into Alice, and almost instantly drifted off to sleep.

"He's asleep?" I asked, turning to look at Edward. He quickly looked around me to see Jasper, lulling with his eyes closed, and nodding his head.

"Alice too." He offered, before getting comfortable on his mattress. "Lie down with me?"

I kicked off my socks, and knee crawled closer to Edward so I could lie down and face him. Given we were sleeping on foam mattresses on the floor, they were incredibly comfortable. More comfortable even than my bed back at Charlie's.

"'Night Bells." Emmett said quietly.

"Good night." I replied, realizing Rose too must've fallen asleep.

I heard a little more shuffling coming from Emmett, and then a few minutes later, all that could be heard was heavy breathing. Edward and I were the only ones left still awake.

Turning to face Edward, I noticed he was facing me too, his eyes still open, and a little distant.  
"You've been quiet all day." I told him softly, trying not to wake the others.

He reached out his hand, taking mine into his and pulling it close to his chest. Once again, he started tracing patterns with the pads of his fingers along my skin.

"I've been more worried about you—and I haven't been quiet, I've probably spoken to everyone today."

"No." I told him quietly. "That's not what I meant. You've been quiet towards me, and your family. I know you Edward, you're my best friend. I can tell when things bother you. There's been something bothering you all day. You were my Edward again for a little bit t at lunch, but then you retreated quickly back into quiet Edward."

"Your Edward?" Edward asked, quietly.

"Yeah, I mean—," I said, feeling the need to correct myself.  
"Don't take that back." He said quickly. "I like the idea of being yours." The small boyish smile that spread across his face was shy. Nervous even. And then what he said, finally clicked.

"I know you're probably tired, but if you've just implied what I think you have, I need to know, Edward. In plain English because I'm crashing here and I really don't think I have the facilities about me to deal with humor or sarcasm right now."

Edward tugged on my hand, pulling me into him. We linked fingers, and I was once again reminded of how small I am in comparison to him. His hands encompassed mine entirely. He shifted a little, and his free hand came up to hold my cheek.

"I've tried to tell you before, Bella." He said in earnest. "You seem to listen to me without hearing. You're so much more than my best friend. You are my family Bella, that much is already true, but I want you to be more than that. I want you to be mine, in the same way that I want to be yours. That may not have been the intent of your words, but—I want it to be true Bella. I want to be yours."

I was blown away by his words. I was struggling to piece together conversations we'd had in the past. Had he said something about wanting me?

"When did you tell me?" I asked, when I couldn't remember a time he'd said anything about wanting me.  
"Yesterday most recently and it's probably the closest I've ever come to actually confessing the way I feel about you." I shuffled closer to Edward, hoping to close the distance between us.

"I don't know what you see in me Edward, but I don't care what it is. I want you too. I want to be with you."  
Edward let go of my hand, only long enough to grab a hold of me around the waist and pull me into him until we were chest to chest.

"You stupid girl, I don't know what you see in me either, but right now I don't care. You're mine Baby B, and that's all that matters." I nodded my head as I looked up into his emerald eyes. In the subdued lighting of the whare, they were darker than I'd ever seen them, but at the same time they also looked brighter too, happier.  
He held his hand to my cheek again, but this time, he started bringing his face closer to mine. A part of me understood that all things considered, this may have been the wrong time and place, but I couldn't find it in me to care. I hoped Edward wouldn't regret this though.

"I trip over myself when I speak to you about this stuff, so I'm not going to ask. I'm just going to do it—I'm going to kiss you." Edward said, and although I wanted to scoff at the thought of him tripping over his words, I couldn't say anything when his lips were pressed to mine.

Slightly at first, and then he seemed to let go of his reservations and I finally started responding to his kiss in kind. We didn't get lost in the moment, and maybe that was a good thing. His siblings were quite literally two feet away.

He pulled away, but quickly placed another kiss on my lips before pulling my tightly to him and holding me close. My face was pressed against his chest where I could hear the thrum of his heart as it beat, and feel the rise and fall of his chest, and just his warmth.

His kissed the crown of my forehead before pulling me into him just a little bit tighter. I could feel his warm breath, against my hair and though it tickled, I didn't want to move. I'd never felt so contented in my life.  
I can't be sure if it was the day catching up to me, or just my pure contentment, but it wasn't long before I was drifting off to sleep.

"Bella." I heard whispered just as I started drifting off to sleep.

"I'm here, Edward, always." I whispered back, though I was certain he was asleep.

Edward and I didn't make it to dinner that night. Although Esme and Carlisle tried to wake us; we slept straight through the night and didn't wake up until dawn the following morning.

Day two of Uncle Paora's Tangi, didn't carry quite as much grief as the day before. Some of that, may have had a lot to do with Edward's touches, and stolen kisses throughout the day. There were also lots of babies here too.  
They hadn't been here the day before, although it had been a Friday, so I suppose that went without saying.

Emmett told me they were full of shit though. Apparently no employer would stop an employee if they needed to take a day off on a Friday for bereavement for a Tangi—its employment law here. He thinks they were using work as an excuse. I didn't know these people, although I spent a lot of time with one of the baby girls, I couldn't have said anything about why they weren't here yesterday. Everyone received the same kind of phone call Edward had, or a text message, others had been sent emails.

A warm hand running down my side and resting on my hip got my attention as Edward walked up behind me. He'd always been affectionate toward me, toward everyone really, but his tacit displays of affection had levelled the playing field of 'friends' and entered into coupledom. He didn't just hold me around my waist, or my shoulders, his hand spent a lot of time resting on my hip, or in my back pocket. The Cullen's just watched on, without saying a thing, as if it was perfectly normal.

Had they anticipated this change? Had they noticed that Edward had feelings for me? Had he told them?

"Hey Baby, who've you got there?" He whispered in my ear, tickling the belly of Claire, one of Edward's cousins. She was only about six months old, but she was a chubby little thing and she had coffee-colored eyes, framed by gorgeously long, dark eyelashes. She was probably the prettiest baby I'd ever seen.

I couldn't remember the name of her parents, so I just pointed them out to Edward. They were standing in the parking lot, catching up with someone as they each had a smoke.

I could feel Edward leaning in to me, as he peered around my shoulder to have a look at who I was pointing to, and I was shocked to hear him growl lowly under his breath.

Claire startled a little, looking up at Edward, but she quickly settled upon seeing him. I'd probably settle down pretty quickly looking at his face too.

"What's wrong?" I didn't even realize Edward has started rocking the two of us from side to side until Claire's little eyes started drooping as she drifted off to sleep.

"You see the woman talking to Uncle Embry—Bubba's Dad?" Edward asked. I looked at the three people standing in the car park. When I saw the woman he was speaking about I nodded my head.

"Who is she?" I shuffled Claire so she was resting across my shoulder. Edward wrapped his arms around me, pulling my back tightly against his chest.

"My ex-wife, Tanya." This time I growled in response. I didn't know the woman from Eve, and other than the fact that Edward had an ex-wife I knew very little about their marriage or what their relationship had been like. But his very tense reaction to her had me thinking it hadn't ended on the best of terms.

"Why would she come here, Edward?" I found myself asking.

"I have no idea." He answered angrily. "But I am certain Rosalie plans on finding out." Edward trailed off laughingly, drawing my attention to the fired up blonde storming across the footpath towards the three of them.  
I felt like we were bearing witness to a car crash as Edward and I stood, looking on. It even felt as though the wind itself had responded to the tension, as it ramped up a notch, making me huddle Claire closer to my chest as I fought to shield her from the wind. Edward wrapped himself tighter around the two of us, followed by another set of muscular arms that shocked me until I heard the laugh that accompanied it.

"Group hug!" He cheered, giving us a bit of a squeeze.

"Careful of the baby." Edward admonished.

Emmett clearly mistook what Edward had said though. "You're pregnant!"

"What! No! Dumbass." Edward said, very quickly. "Claire, you dumbfuck. Bella's holding Claire."

"Oh." Emmett laughed. Letting go of us, he looked over my shoulder, and saw the sleeping baby curled tightly into my chest.

"Shit Son, for a second there I was shocked as fuck. I mean seriously you totally almost stole my thunder, but Rose isn't ready yet, but yeah. Shit. She looks like she could be yours though. Look at her hair!"

"You're an idiot, Emmett. I also think you may want to get your wife." I turned to look at Emmett, surprised to see terror cloud his features.

"Why would I need to get Rose? It's not like we're pregnant—I mean, you know. No Cullen Grandbabies just yet. You know? So, yeah. What do I need Rosie here?"

I rolled my eyes at him. Emmett was in the habit of tripping over himself although normally his wife would be standing there to ream him for it. This time he was just acting like a blundering fool.

"Ok, weird guy." Edward said quickly, before unwrapping himself from me. "Your wife is about to maim my ex-wife."

"No shit, she's been threatening to do it if she ever saw her again for years now." Emmett shrugged.

"Yeah well she's seen her, and she's about to go postal any second now, look in the car park."

Emmett didn't say anything else as he scanned the car park. I could tell when he'd seen Rosalie, or maybe Tanya, because he was running across the grass and jumping the fence a second later.

A second too late though.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing here!" Rosalie screamed, in a much lower pitch than I thought she was capable of.

Tanya's response couldn't be heard though. She was either trying to keep up appearances or feigning ignorance.  
Emmett had finally arrived at Rosalie's side, but she didn't even seem to care. I didn't even know how long Edward and Tanya had been married let alone divorced, so this could have been festering for years.

I'd seen that Rosalie had a short temper on an almost daily basis, but she blew up, let it all out and simmered down in a matter of minutes. If this grudge against Tanya had been weighing on her for long enough, I don't know if anything or anyone could stop her.

"You have no right!" Rosalie shouted. "You are nothing to this family. You're as good as dead to Edward. He's moved on. He's happy! He doesn't have a loose, whore like you tying him down anymore."

"How dare you?!" Was Tanya's indignant response, but Rose wasn't done.

"No, you don't get to say that. You don't get to try to place yourself back into his life—this family again like nothing happened. It doesn't work like that. You were screwing around on Edward for so long, you didn't even know who the father of your baby was."

"You don't know what you're talking about!"

Rose was still fired up and even with Emmett trying to calm her down, it wasn't doing much of anything, except maybe fanning the flames.

"The hell I don't!"

I felt a little bit sorry for Edward's Uncle, and his girlfriend. They clearly had no idea as to whom they were speaking.

"I should speak to her." Edward whispered sadly into my ear. The way he said it though, with no conviction, I could tell that it was the last thing he wanted to do.

"Why? By the sound of things she owes you an explanation, not the other way around." Edward sighed sadly before hugging me tightly to him again as we continued to watch the sparring match going on between Rosalie and Tanya. I was beginning to wonder when it would come to blows.

"You've never spoken about her." Edward shook his head into my shoulder.

"Was it as bad as Rose makes it sound?"

"Worse." A whispered answer.

When I noticed Esme and Alice storming out of the Whare, with Jasper and Carlisle hot on their heels, I had a feeling the situation was not going to get any better.

"Should we go with them?" Once again, Edward was reduced to shaking his head against my shoulder.

I was shocked when he started walking across the path, and heading toward the archway. I had the baby, so the last thing I wanted to do was climb the fence.

"We probably should have found someone to take the baby."

"Probably, but it's too late now. Besides, her parents are there. We can hand her over if we need to."

The tension in the parking lot was heady. Trying to slice through it with a spoon would have been overkill.

Esme, Alice and Rose were standing against Tanya, their poor partners standing behind them. In their own way, each was trying their best to calm their better halves. Emmett had his arms around Rosalie's middle, Jasper was trying his best to hold Alice back by holding her around the hips, and Carlisle had a hand on his wife's shoulder.  
All three women were red faced as they went off on Tanya. The way she stood, looking self-righteous in their stead frustrated me. From what I'd learned she meant nothing to this family, it was probably likely dancing on Uncle Paora's grave turning up like this.

"You have no right turning up like this!" Edward's commanding voice said, cutting through the bickering of the Cullen women.

Tanya appeared somewhat triumphant, as she turned quickly to look at Edward. He was still holding me, his hand nervously rubbing circles into my hip as he'd wrapped himself around me. I noticed the triumph bleed from her face as she looked at the two of us.

"Edward, darling." She greeted, sickeningly sweet. "I was just catching up with your cousins here." She gestured to Uncle Embry, and Jessica—his girlfriend. "And you're family."

"The hell you were." Rosalie screamed, startling Claire who let out a small whimper. I could see Jessica look over to her daughter, Uncle Embry too, but Edward was quick to shift her from my arms into his where she settled quickly.

I felt sorry for Tanya though because now my hands were free too; except Edward, who even with the baby in his hands still held me to him.

"What are you doing here?" Edward said levelly although the look he cast her should have had had her six-feet under.

Tanya tried to step closer, but this time I found myself stepping forward. I didn't want her anywhere near Edward, let alone Claire who was actually drifting off again in Edward's arms. Jessica had mentioned she hadn't slept much on the drive up, and she'd started teething so she wasn't sleeping too well at night.

"Oh, how precious. You've found your white picket fence, have you?"

"Just leave Tanya, you didn't even like him, so I don't know why you'd turn up." Edward said, bored.

"I loved Uncle Paul—,"

"Ha." Edward cut her off. "I'm sure you did. So much so, you don't even know his name. Fuck off Tanya. It'll be a cold day in hell before you set foot in this Marae."

A cold wind blew harshly at us, making me huddle around Edward and Claire. Edward handed her back over to me, before taking off his hoodie, so he was left in his long sleeve thermal and undershirt. I took the hoodie quickly, shuffling the baby as I wrapped her up quickly, making sure I kept her warm.

Tanya had been standing there silent, watching the exchange. She still hadn't left though.

"Do you need it written out for you? Leave." Alice said, shrugging off Jasper's grip and walking towards Tanya. How the baby could drift back to sleep through all of this tension, I had no idea.

"I just wanted to—,"

"You are not welcome here." Aunty Mere said who was with another one of Edward's Aunties, whose name I couldn't remember, and Uncle Wiremu.

"This is my husband's Tangi; it is only for family and friends. You are neither, so leave. I will not welcome you on, so I suggest you leave quickly. I will call the police if I have to." Aunty Ripeka—I remembered—Uncle Paora's wife said.

Tanya still looked like she was willing to keep speaking, but then she looked back at Edward. Whatever she saw on his face, was not what she had expected to see. She actually took another step back.

I turned to look at Edward and saw him looking at Claire and me. In that moment I think I knew, I didn't just want to be with Edward, I needed to be with him. He may not know what I saw in him, but looking into his eyes, it was obvious. I saw a man I'd kill for and protect at all costs.

We all watched Tanya flounder for a few minutes before walking over to her car. It was the first time I'd noticed how inappropriately she was dressed. While all the women here were in jeans, galoshes, thermal shirts and sweaters, she was dressed in a long sleeved, bandage dress that came to mid-thigh, and knee high stiletto boots.

When all we could see was the back of her beat up, older Mazda, the tension levels dropped dramatically.

"Embry, Jessica, what the hell was that girl doing here, talking to the both of you?" Aunty Mere scolded, her eyes focused solely on Embry.

Edward and I, as well as the rest of the family chose that moment to head back inside. Claire needed to be put down, and Edward must've been getting cold.

When we got back to the whare, a lot of the younger children were playing games together. I noticed they playing card games in one group, while the other group was playing a board game, The Game of Life, I think.  
It took me back to when I was younger and playing card games with Jake, and the res boys. Back when my being a girl didn't mean anything.

I wasn't sure where Embry and Jessica were sleeping, so I laid Claire down on Edward's mattress. I was certain we were far enough away from the rest of the kids that they shouldn't wake her up, but all the same, Edward asked them to keep quiet. He asked one of the older kids to keep an eye on her before we both headed into the kitchen.

When we arrived, everyone seemed to be doing a task. Aunty Mere was cooking up something in massive pots, while Esme, Alice and Rosalie peeled sweet potatoes and russet potatoes.

Looking around, there only seemed to be women in the kitchen, and Uncle Waylon, who was one of Carlisle's, fathers' best friends. He was practically family and he had been close to Uncle Paora too. Edward had introduced the two of us although I really hadn't said much more than 'hello' to him.

"Where're the boys?" I asked Esme as Edward washed his hands.

"They're butchering the meat." Esme said off-handedly, pointing to a door I'd missed. I noticed Edward heading that way and chose to follow him. That was not the best decision I'd ever made. I caught a whiff of blood before I'd even crossed the threshold.

"Edward." I'd barely managed to squeak out as my vision clouded over, and the edges started fading black. I felt arms grab me, but as for the rest, I have no idea.

I woke to the jostling movements of someone carrying me. The familiar warmth, and comfort I felt, meant it had to be Edward. I clutched Edward's shirt to me, as I blinked my eyes open.

"You know these fainting spells of yours absolutely terrify me." I felt the rumble of Edward's chest as he spoke.

"Just keeping you on your toes." Edward looked down at me lovingly, before quickly kissing my forehead.

"If that's how you plan to keep me on my toes, I'm going to be six feet under before I have a ring on your finger."

It was probably too soon. He hadn't met Charlie, or Seth, my step-brother. I hadn't even told the Cullen's I had a step-brother. But I really did like the sound of the future he was painting. It was the white picket fence I thought I'd long since given up on, but he made me think that I could have the life I wanted.

"You're quiet." Edward had stopped walking and was just holding me. "Did I say too much, too fast—I'm sorry. I didn't—"

I quickly clapped my hand over his mouth to stop him saying anything else. He almost dropped me in shock though, but he didn't, but I think only just.

"Get out of your head, Edward. Don't think you can scare me off that easily. You're pretty much stuck with me now."

Edward set me back down on my feet, but he kept his arms around me, leaning down until there was only an inch between us. I raised my hand and rested it on Edward's cheek. It was rough, from three days of growth, and tickled my palm. His eyes were dark, full of a shine brighter than I'd ever experienced since I'd met him. The way his dark eyelashes brushed his cheeks when he blinked, made me envy him, but at the same time, I saw a smaller version of him too. A baby.

I don't know if Claire had made me clucky, or if I had reached that point in my life where a child made sense, but I wanted a baby, and I wanted it with Edward. I wanted a life with Edward.

"You don't need a ring." I ran my finger over his lips. "You don't need anything, you've got me already."

"There's something more permanent I'd do for you Bella." Edward stilled my hand on his cheek.

"I want to add you into my Moko, Bella. I don't quite know how they'll work your heritage into the design, but that's more permanent than any ring. That's where I see you. I see you so embedded into my life that you're etched into my skin, Bella. You're my family."

I wrapped my arms around his shoulders and reached up on my tiptoes to softly press my lips to his.  
"If it's okay, I want to get a moko too. I want to get whatever they'll let me have."

Edward crushed me to his chest and just held me to him. He rocked us side to side for a bit before just holding me to him. I was shocked when he started laughing, and couldn't help but pull away a little to look at him.

"I'm not laughing at us, or this, I'm over the moon right now. I just realized we've pretty much declared ourselves to each other on the footpath, outside of the toilets at Waipuna, the afternoon before we bury Uncle Paora."

I shook my head, smiling at the revelation. He certainly had a point. As far as romance goes, our relationship certainly had none of it.

"And they say romance is dead."

Edward grabbed my hand and led me into the whare. The children were still playing games amongst themselves; a couple of the older girls were sitting with Jessica who was changing Claire's diaper.

Edward and I just sat around and relaxed for a bit. One of his Aunties, Ray, who'd arrived late, started chatting with us too. She was absolutely hilarious. I was really surprised when she'd told me she was once a man. She said it so blasé, I was actually really shocked, and proud of her. Apparently, Carlisle, being the manly man that he is, still has a hard time kissing her hello, but he's getting there.

We were probably only in the whare for about an hour or two when we were all being called in to dinner. It was another simple affair. They'd made a beef stew, fry bread and assorted salads. Nothing fancy, but it tasted great.  
Everyone, much like last night was talking amongst themselves. The children passed around fizzy drinks or Raro, (a sweet packet mix drink), Carlisle was trying to wrangle fry bread away from all of his relatives and Esme watched on adoringly, as she laughed with Aunty Mere. Through everything, Edward held my hand, and played with my fingers.

The whole atmosphere was changing. It was happy, peaceful. Without actually knowing why we were here, it would just appear to anyone on the outside like a family reunion. It was like there were times to mourn, and there was a time to just enjoy life and be happy with everyone.

Everyone helped with the dishes this evening, even the hopeless cousins. It was as if everyone was getting ready for tomorrow. For tomorrow, Uncle Paora would actually be laid to rest.

Everyone retreated to the whare together, and I watched quietly as Edward retreated just a little. Not from me this time, but from himself. From his sadness. He was allowing himself to feel the sadness of Uncle Paora's loss again. They all were.

Aunty Ray was quick to get everyone's attention inside the whare, as she sat on her bed with a guitar. A couple of the other cousins had guitars too.

"Okay everybody, we're going to sing a little. I missed it earlier, I had trouble getting off work, but I figure another waiata won't hurt. Okay?" She didn't actually wait for people to agree, she just started strumming.  
"Sing along whanau." I didn't recognize the chords she was strumming, but everyone else seemed to.

 _I have a band of men and all they do is play for me_  
 _They come from miles around to hear them play a melody_  
 _Beneath the stars my ten guitars will play a song for you_  
 _And if you're with the one you love this is what you do_  
 _Oh, dance, dance, dance to my ten guitars_  
 _And very soon you know just where you are_  
 _Through the eyes of love you see a thousand stars_  
 _When you dance, dance, dance, to my ten guitars_  
 _Guitars are made for love my band of men will always say_  
 _So give each one a pretty girl and they will start to play_  
 _Beneath the stars my ten guitars will play a song for you_  
 _And if you're with the one you love this is what to do_  
 _Oh, dance, dance, dance to my ten guitars_  
 _And very soon you know just where you are_  
 _Through the eyes of love you see a thousand stars_  
 _When you dance, dance, dance, to my ten guitars_  
 _Ooh, let me tell you now dance, dance, dance to my ten guitars_  
 _Hm, come on, everybody, dance dance dance to my ten guitars  
_  
Everyone, including the children—and with the exception of myself—sang along. She was great and had t incomparable confidence and charisma. Even I felt like singing along, only I didn't know the words.

Everyone continued singing along for maybe an hour or two; switching between new songs and old songs. Some of which I think I may have heard before, and other's I had no idea about. It was good though, it was beautiful. Even the people, who claimed they couldn't sing, could carry a tune well enough, and they certainly knew how to harmonize.

I drifted off to sleep, leaning against Edward on our mattresses, his voice, caressing my ears as he sang along with the whanau.

Waking up the next morning, I could feel Edward on top of me. At some point in the night, we'd changed positions. Where I had been leaning against Edward when I'd drifted off, I was now lying on my back with Edward draped across me, his chest weighing me down and pressing me into the mattress. If it wasn't uncomfortably hot, and had he not weighed quite so much, I'm sure this would have looked adorable. He was twice my size though and his rib cage was pressing down into my bladder.

"Edward." I whispered, trying not to wake anyone else. Though I couldn't see the time, I assumed it was probably still fairly early.

"My Baby." Edward said sleepily, snuggling into me further.

"Edward." I said at a more conversational level. He needed to wake up soon, or he'd be waking up in a puddle.  
"Five more minutes Mum, playing with the baby. Such a pretty baby." He was adorably sleepy, and lord knows what he was dreaming about. He needed to get off of me. I would have shoved him, but he'd somehow managed to pin me down in such a way that my hands were immobile. I could barely feel them.

Using my legs, I somehow managed to kick Edward's leg off me and with a bit more maneuvering I was able to get to my knees and roll Edward off so he was sleeping on his back. I had to give him my pillow though.

"My god, you sleep like the dead." I moaned, finally able to get up and rush to the bathroom.

After relieving myself, I decided to tidy my hair and brush my teeth. Had I not left my toiletries bag in the bathroom last night, I probably wouldn't have bothered.

When I returned to the whare, I was shocked to see that almost everyone was gone. None of the Cullen's were still in their beds. Neither were Jessica and Embry although I could see little Claire had woken up. She'd been left with one of the older girls, Elizabeth.

"Is Claire awake?" I asked Elizabeth, shocked to see a guilty look on her face.

"Aunty Jessica told me to leave her sleep, but she was so cute. I started playing with her fingers and then she woke up. I'm sorry Aunty Bella. I didn't listen." I shushed Elizabeth and tried my best to calm her down. I promised her that everything would be fine, and that I'd take Claire so that she wouldn't get into trouble. Lizzie was nodding her head so happily, I didn't feel bad at all, that I would have probably done the same thing she had.

Lizzie rushed from the whare into the kitchen where I assume she was going back to her parents, thus leaving me with Claire.

"You know I'm not actually your Aunty right?" I told the baby as I tickled her stomach. "I'm like your cousin-in law or something, and that's only if I marry Edward. When we have babies, they'll be your nieces and nephews I think. According to what Edward tells me, but maybe they'd just call you Claire. You're much too young to be an Aunty."

"You make it sound like the first Cullen Grandchild is on its way." Edward said from the side door, scaring the Holy Jesus out of me.

I clutched the baby to me as I tried to still my freaking out heart. "Seriously, make a noise!"

Edward held his hands up in surrender before crossing the room.

"I came to grab you for breakfast. It's about to get crazy around here in an hour or so, I need you fed. I can't have you passing out on me again."

I narrowed my eyes. "I passed out once, for forgetting to eat and you're still holding that against me."

"It was the day we met, B. It was a rather lasting impression." I pushed Edward away as I gathered Claire in my arms and walked toward the kitchen.

Jessica caught my eye firs, and mouthed her thanks when she saw Claire in my arms. I just smiled back before playfully waving with Claire.

Edward followed closely behind me, playing with Claire over my shoulder. I noticed an empty seat next to Alice and sat down. Edward continued walking past me, and I just shrugged. I quickly poured myself a glass of water.  
"You know B; I was wondering when Edward would finally say something to you." Alice said, as her eyes watched Edward across the room.

I cocked my eyebrow at her, "You knew?"

Alice laughed at me, not with me, at me. Shaking her head, the whole time, she settled herself before wiping a faux tear from her eye.

"As well as you think you know Edward, there's a whole other side of him you haven't seen; the broken side that was left behind after Hurricane Tanya. You're what he needs, without a doubt, but it's nice to see him like this again. He's not as serious, and he smiles a lot more. The way he looks at you, it reminds me of Mum and Dad."  
I looked down at Claire, kissing her nose. She smelled like baby, and though I'd never been around too many babies before, I loved her baby smell. "I don't think I ever want to see that whore again. I don't think I can be held responsible for my actions if I ever do. "

A plate, filed with a piece of toast, scrambled eggs and two slices of bacon was slid in front of me, as well as a cup of coffee.

"Don't tell me you're plotting my death, B. I'm sorry I startled you." I patted Edward's cheek, smiling as I watched his eyes light up.

"Is this your peace offering?"

"If you'll accept it." I nodded my head, "Then yes, consider this a peace offering for my deplorable actions a few minutes ago."

"Big words, Teddy." Alice chimed in, pushing her brother away. "Go get dressed you Bella hog, we're having girl time."

Edward tried to reach for Claire, but Alice shoved him again. "Girl time, Claire is a girl."

Edward glared at his sister before quickly kissing my forehead and skulking away.

"You enjoy messing with him too much." I said, before cutting into my breakfast.

"He's just too easy."

Alice reached for Claire and pulled her into her lap as I quickly finished my breakfast. Apparently it wouldn't be long now before everyone was here for the Tangi, so I needed to shower and change. The kitchen helpers had arrived, so Aunty Mere told us not to worry about dishes. She was running behind on the kai prep and didn't need more feet in her kitchen causing mayhem.

I didn't like the idea of getting on Aunty Mere's bad side, so I agreed and quickly left the kitchen. Claire had been 'liberated' by Alice, so I had no excuse not to grab my clothes and dress.

I had no idea what was appropriate to wear at a tangi. I'd tried to Google it, but the only images I'd found were pictures of people in traditional dress. That didn't sound right to me. Alice just told me to pack some black clothes so that's what I did. I packed a black maxi skirt, black singlets and thermals, a black sweater, black jeans and a black leather jacket. I even found and packed my black scarf. I didn't even know I owned a black scarf!  
I was looking at all the black in my suitcase when Rosalie found me.

"Well that's overkill." She joked, sitting beside me. She was dressed tidily in a pair of black skinny jeans, a black sweater and a long black coat. Her hair was left down, and she was only wearing chapstick.

"I didn't know what to wear, or if there was a protocol."

Rose dragged my suitcase in front of her and started pulling out an outfit. Jeans, tank top, turtle neck sweater, jacket. That's all she pulled out. I'd already managed to pull out my underwear.

"We're not as strict here as other Marae's, jeans will be fine, and preferred. I don't know what this weather is doing, so your boots would probably be a good idea too, unless you have some Red Bands, floating round."  
"Red Bands?"

"Gum boots. You know long rubber shoes, worn to keep your feet dry in wet weather, or muddy weather."  
"Galoshes?"  
"To-mae-toe, to-mah-toe. Do you have any?" I shook my head.

"Any shoes will be fine really; gum boots just keep you clean." Rose said, before rocking to her feet and pulling me up.

"Go get ready; we've got maybe half an hour before everyone arrives. Emmett and Jasper just got back after helping dig the grave." I didn't want to be in the shower when people started turning up, so I had the quickest shower of my life. I heard people come and go while I was in the shower and I worried I was taking too long.  
I didn't even bother with my hair. I towel dried myself, probably doing a terrible job before stepping into my underwear. The only jeans I owned were skinny jeans, and it was like mission impossible trying to slide my jeans up wet legs.

After almost killing myself when I tripped into the sink, I finally managed to wiggle my way into my jeans. It was easy enough on top though, I threw on a black turtle neck, and a black leather jacket, and twenty minutes after entering the bathroom, I was dressed. My hair was pulled back into a pony tail, and I pulled on the only pair of boots I'd packed. An over the knee pair of flat black, leather boots my mother had purchased for me.

"Looking bad ass, Baby B." Emmett joked. He and Jasper were leaving the men's bathroom.

I quickly looked down at what I was wearing; I hadn't really had a chance to earlier.

"Rose picked it out. Should I change?" I worried, Rose was dressed similarly, but unlike me, at least she had gum boots on.

"You look fine, Bella. Ignore him." Said Jasper, ever the voice of reason—when he wasn't acting like a tool.  
Both Men caught up to me, they each took to either side of me, each throwing one of their arms around my shoulders. I didn't realize we'd be heading back into the whare. Leaning on Jasper, I took my shoes off and headed inside.

The mattresses had all been rotated and stacked two high as they lined the walls. Bags were pushed close up against the wall as were the blankets.

All the Cullen's were sitting together, so I made a beeline for them. Edward shifted over, giving me some room. I sat next to him, not surprised in the least when he wrapped his arm around shoulders and tucked me into the curve of his waist.

"You're going to see a lot of grown men cry today, Baby." He said very seriously, "I'm going to be one of them."  
I reached up to play with his hair. It wouldn't be the first time I had watched him cry. This time, at least I knew why.

"I know." I held his face in the palm of my hand. He was clean shaven now, unlike yesterday. "I'm going to be here for you all the same. Just like I was when you found out that your uncle had died."

Edward kissed me quickly on the lips before settling his arm back around me.

When I heard one of the women calling out in Māori, I knew everyone had arrived. Her voice, their voices actually, rang at such an incredible pitch or key—I'm not musical—but it chilled me to the bone and settled somewhere deep inside, that without even knowing what they were saying, I understood the weight of their cry.

It was haunting and beautiful, but miserable all at the same time.

When people started flooding into the whare I was floored. There were so many people, all here to see off Uncle Paora. I'd been told he was loved, but I guess I didn't understand quite how much.

Men, women, and children; old, young, fair skinned, dark skinned and every color in between, they all stood in congregation. I kissed every unfamiliar person, I received hugs and apologies, condolences most especially and through it all I stood by Edward as every person's words settled within him like the weight of the world.

When everyone had gone through and said their hellos, we were moving. Uncle Paora needed to go up to the church.

The church was a small building atop a hill. It was where the Cullen kids were all baptized. This ceremony, I could understand, but for whatever reason, it didn't seem to resonate on the same level. They may have been giving him the blessing of god, or whatever it is you receive at a church funeral service, but it didn't feel right.  
The final trip for Uncle Paora was to the Urupa. I walked hand in hand with Edward, and I could feel the tremble of his body as he allowed his grief to overtake him. Everyone in attendance had surrendered themselves to their grief and allowed it to wash through them. There were tear tracks and red-rimmed eyes staring at me from behind sunglass lenses.

I'd never seen such an open display of emotions in my life. I'd attended a couple of funerals growing up, I'd seen the grief of a wife, a mother, a child, but it couldn't hold a candle to the broken people I stood with.

Edward, who refused to be a pall bearer, gripped my hand like a lifeline as we walked behind the congregation. He didn't speak, he didn't sob, but I could feel the tremble in his grip as we walked. I looked around at the faces of Edward's siblings, Alice was crying into Jasper's chest as Rose clung to Emmett. She fought tears, in her attempt to be strong for Emmett, but she too was clearly affected. Carlisle was a pall bearer, so Esme held onto the shoulders of Emmett and Alice, lending them her strength.

At the cemetery I tuned out what everyone was saying. I couldn't listen to the sorrow in their words and not cry, so I tuned them out. Edward, as we stood next to the grave had wrapped himself so tightly around me as he cried, all I could do was to stand there and let him.

I let his grief wash over and through me. I let him hold me, his tears soaking through to my skin. It didn't matter. Nothing mattered right now except Edward.

Edward let me go and grabbed the attention of his brother and Jasper. He kissed my lips before disengaging himself. I noticed some of the other boys, younger boys, following behind the three of them.

Before I could ask what was going on, I heard the cries of the woman again. It seemed louder now. More powerful. It flooded through me again, but this time her cry was met with that of another, many. The boys, who'd left the sides of their partners, were doing a haka.

They moved in tandem so well you'd have thought they'd rehearsed it. There was passion and pain in their movements, in their voices. They were loud, but they didn't drown out the woman.

I think that was the point though.

When they'd finished their haka, I watched as all the energy they'd channeled into their performance, take a toll on them.

I didn't wait for Edward to meet me; I closed the distance between us, and wrapped my arms around him and just held him.

Everything else happened around us as Edward just cried. Would this reach an end? Would he find the peace he needed to move on?

The ceremony at the grave site didn't take very long. Much had been said in the church. Actually it may have taken a long time, but I wouldn't know. My priorities were focused on Edward.

Before I'd realized it, Uncle Paora was being lowered into the ground. Edward moved closer to the grave. He stepped up next to Aunty Ripeka and Emily. I followed him, my fingers entwined with his. I felt another hand slide into my free one, a smaller, slightly calloused one.

Alice had joined me, and with her were Jasper and the rest of the Cullen's.

I watched as Aunty Ripeka and then Emily picked up some dirt and threw it into the grave. I could see they offered whispered words to Uncle Paora, before they each hugged and kissed the white, wooden cross which would serve as a temporary grave marker until his headstone was unveiled.

Edward stepped up next, pulling me along with him. When he picked up some dirt, I bent over too. The dirt was almost like mud, having been moments of rain in the early hours of the morning.

"You were like my other Dad, Uncle." Edward started. His voice clear, even laced with his emotions. "I just, I'm gonna miss you so much. You didn't get to meet my girl. You'd have loved her. She's perfect. I just… be happy okay. That's all you ever wanted for me. So I want you to be the same. I'll look out for Aunty, I promise, and I'll look out for Emily too. I'll be the man you helped me to become, and just like you did with Aunty, I'm going to treasure every moment I have with my wahine, 'cause she's the real deal this time. I love you Uncle. So much."  
He didn't say anything profound, but it was enough for him, because as the words left him, he seemed to right himself. He sprinkled dirt over the coffin. I wasn't sure if I was allowed to say anything or if I was even supposed to, but I did.

"I'm sorry I didn't get a chance to meet you, Uncle Paora. But I'll look after Edward. I promise you. I'll look after him." I sprinkled dirt over his coffin too before stopping at the cross. Edward kissed the top, rubbing Uncle Paora's name, before pressing his nose against the white cross.

I felt the need to pay my respects properly, so I crouched down and kissed his name. I pressed my forehead to the cross also and prayed Uncle Paora would help Edward get through this.

I don't really remember much of what followed. There were more tears, there was another meal and there were more songs. Those who came for the funeral service left soon after the meal, and when all the dust settled it was once again just the immediate family.

Everyone seemed entirely cried out, so instead they went off to celebrate at the nearby restaurant, the local and only bar for miles. Edward didn't seem to want to join them, so instead we waited at the whare. Sleep came easy for me, but even easier for Edward.

* * *

 **I had a lot of trouble splitting this chapter, so I kept it all together.**

 **Some of the names used are actually Maori versions of familiar names:**

 **Paora = Paul**

 **Ripeka = Rebecca**

 **Mere = Mary**

 **But also heres a few other words too:**

 **Aroha = Love**

 **Ataahua = Beautiful**

 **I'd love to read your thoughts.**

 **NicNyx.**


	4. Chapter 4

**_So, once again mad love for EdwardsFirstKiss, because she's my beta and she's awesome. Also, a massive thank you to all of your ladies out there on Facebook plugging this fic. I never thought I'd have so many of you interested in my little city about a tiny little country at least half a world away from a lot of you._**

 ** _Anyway, enjoy!_**

* * *

I woke with a start as the covers were ripped from my bed. Sitting up too fast, I freaked out and fell off it. I had to rub the sleep from my eyes and the pain from my forehead as I sat up, about ready to kill someone.

"You had better have a good reason for this." I seethed, turning to see a smiling Emmett. "I will cut you, Emmett."

"Whoa, whoa. Settle down Baby B." Emmett threw my covers back onto the bed. "You needed to wake up, and fast."

I looked at him with a cocked eyebrow. "Enlighten me."

He threw himself down on the bed and sighed dramatically. "Remember that taxi I borrowed the time I picked you up at the airport?"

I nodded my head. It really wasn't something I was likely to forget, ever.

"Right, well I received a call today from the driver, kay?" I nodded, although he wasn't actually asking a question. "Well, they just picked up a dude with an American accent. He apparently has no idea where he is, or where he's heading, so I told the taxi driver to bring him here. I figured you might know him."

I hoped I was looking at Emmett like he was an idiot because he was acting like an idiot. "Do you have any idea how big America is?"

"Massive, but I figured a hopeless traveler from Washington, maybe you two are like kindred spirits or something."

I rose to my feet and smacked him upside the head. "Why the hell would I be kindred spirits with a random dude who hopped a plane and landed in New Zealand?" I grabbed my pillow and couldn't help myself. I just kept hitting him over and over again. "You were dropped on your head as a kid, I swear."

A knock on the door is the only thing that saved him from a feathery pillow, death.

"Why bother knocking, just come on in." I shouted, about ready to start hitting Emmett with the pillow again.

"Bells?" A very familiar voice called, and I spun around quickly to find the person that matched the voice.

There, in my little apartment stood my stepbrother. He hadn't changed a bit although he clearly hadn't dressed for the weather. It was in the middle of July, in New Zealand. Winter and he was dressed in a thin t-shirt and jeans.

"Seth, what're you doing here?" I asked crossing the room to hug him.

"You told me you wouldn't know him—,"

"Fuck up, Emmett." I cut him off, throwing the pillow at him.

"So violent." He moaned, rolling to his feet and joining us in the living area.

I couldn't believe Seth was standing in front of me. It had been seven months since I'd seen him. I'd had dinner with him and his wife a few weeks before I'd hopped my plane to LA and started living my life.

"Charlie misses you, but he's too proud to admit it." He smiled, opening his arms to me. I stepped into them quickly, actually happy to see my family. Emmett may be like a new brother to me, but I'd known Seth since he was a baby.

"He misses me, but he can't come to see me himself?" Seth shook his head sadly.

"It's not like that Bells. He wants to, but he's scared you'll send him packing. I got sick of his whining and I booked a ticket."

"How did you find me?" I watched Seth's eyes light up with a story, so I told him to sit on the sofa. I joined him, sitting down on the arm—Esme would scold me if she'd been here. Emmett sat himself down too, wanting to hear the story.

I laughed at how similar his story was to mine. The serendipitous cab ride that landed him at the inn and Emmett's chat with the cab driver.

"This just doesn't happen." I said in awe, shaking my head.

"But it does Baby B." Emmett said insistently. "Embrace it. It's something my family lives by, we've told you this before. If it's meant to be, it will be. That's why we knew you were meant to be with us. It's just how these things roll. Your brother was supposed to see you again and here he is. "

"Seth." I told Emmett. "My brother's name is Seth. Hariru." I told him, interested to see how Seth would respond.

Emmett turned to me with a smile before rising to his feet. He gave Seth a hand, pulling him up, so they were both standing, and then continuing to hold Seth's hand, Emmett went in for the hongi.

"The fuck, Bro!" Seth said loudly, pushing Emmett away. Emmett acted really offended, though in reality, he was having a bit of fun. Emmett really was just greeting Seth properly. "I'm not gay! Just because you were palling around with my sister does not mean you can have fun with me too. I'm married dude, I have a _wife_."

"No homo." I told Seth with a straight face. "Emmett has a wife, he was greeting you properly. Hariru, that's what that means."

Seth looked at me disgusted. "He wasn't going to kiss you. He was going to press his nose against yours."

"Well Hardy-do to you too. I will stay in my bubble. My personal space bubble right over here, thank you." I laughed. I couldn't help it. My God he'd spent too much time with Charlie if he was that worried, and even to my ears his pronunciation was terrible.

"Well now that you're here, Seth, what're your plans? Are you going to be here for long?" I watched as Seth sat back down on the sofa, his features straightening out as he became very serious.

"I'm here to warn you."

"Well that sounds ominous." Emmett cut in as he sat down.

I cut him a glare, and he pretended to zip his mouth.

"Charlie still wants you to come back home, and he plans on sending Renee after you to make it happen." My mouth hit the floor. I mean I had to bend over and pick it up and reattach it to my face I was that floored.

Shaking my head, and blinking away his words, I tried to sort them out in my head. He hadn't said too many so there wasn't a lot of meaning I could really take from them, other than the intended one. My mother was going to fly to New Zealand in the not too distant future because my father wants me home?

"I thought he was coming around?" I asked after a few minutes of silence. Seth's dark eyes met mine, and behind his long lashes I could see he was hiding something.

Shaking his head, I watched as Seth started ringing his fingers in his lap.

"He lied." No shit, "He wanted you to believe he was okay with it, so that you would come home. He figured you were just acting out and needed some space. He thought you would have come home by now."

I could feel Emmett's eyes on me as I absorbed what Seth was saying. Charlie had been lying to me the whole time. He was trying to manipulate me into coming home. He didn't care that I was happy and settled here. He just wanted me home. He wanted to control my life again.

"I'm not going back Seth." I told him, looking him straight in the eye. "There's nothing for me there anymore. I'm happy here. I have family here too."

"They're not your family, Bella. I'm your family, Charlie is your family."

I shook my head, and rose to my feet in anger. "No. If he can't—if _you_ can't accept my life here, then you can't be family. Families care for one another, they support one another. They don't fly across the world, just to try to drag another family member home by their hair. Trust me, that's what you'd be doing. I won't willingly return to the States."

"What if you had no choice?" Seth asked quietly. "What if Charlie gave you no choice and tried to force your return?"

"My permanent residency is being fast tracked." _Slight lie_. It was in the final stages of approval, okay, I'd filled out the form. I'd need to live here for a few years first, but my visa was still valid. "I'd like to see him try."

"Why don't you want to come home, Bells?"

I sighed, "There's nothing there for me anymore Seth. I mean there are Charlie, Sue and you. But that's it. I didn't see a future there. I didn't see it with Jake; I didn't have it with my job. I was over it."

"Why New Zealand?"

I smiled this time. "Have you ever Googled New Zealand?" Seth shook his head. "The first thing I saw was 100% Pure New Zealand; it was a website full of pictures and facts about New Zealand. It showed the people, the land, and the culture. It was beautiful, and the more I looked into the country, the more I wanted to know and see it. I fell in love with this place before I'd even hopped on a plane to LA. I knew that New Zealand was where I needed to be."

"How does a website tell you where you need to be?" I shook my head, knowing I'd have trouble explaining this to him. Even now, I still had a hard time putting it in words.

"Because it showed me everything that living with Jake wasn't." _Half-truth_ , because it showed me so much more. It showed me the life I wanted and couldn't have trapped as I was. "If you jumped on a plane and thought you could talk me 'round, and take me home, I suggest you catch the next flight out because I won't be going with you. I also suggest you tell Charlie to stop fighting me on this. If he pushes too far, I won't ever come back. That's a promise—Renee or not."

Not surprisingly, Seth didn't say anything else. He grabbed the duffle bag he'd bought with him and slung it back over his shoulder before crossing the distance between us. He knelt down and kissed the crown of my head.

"I've done what he asked me to do now, B." he smiled. A full toothy grin, but I could see it wasn't as heartfelt as he was trying to make me think he was being. "I said what he asked me to say. I've seen you, you're well and you're happy. That's enough for me."

Seth hugged me to him, and as he let me go, he looked at Emmett. "Look after her okay? This isn't over with her Dad; he can be a controlling dick when he's worried, and so you need to be there for her."

A voice from the door caught my attention. "We've always been there for her."

Edward crossed the room, wrapping his arm protectively around me. I didn't realize how much I needed his strength until he was here for me to lean on.

"Edward, this is my stepbrother, Seth." I offered in introduction. Edward held his hand out for Seth. "Seth, this is my partner Edward."

Seth's eyes narrowed quickly at the term 'partner', but I didn't care. Edward and I were solid.

"You're marrying him for citizenship." I scoffed in response to that statement. "A marriage does not get you citizenship in New Zealand. It can't even guarantee residency—it certainly can help, but it's no guarantee." I said as I'd been working toward my residency since I'd found the Cullen's.

That was another conversation I wouldn't be having with my father.

"Why're you really here, Seth? Clearly your intentions aren't limited to being Charlie's errand boy. What do you want?"

"I just want you to come home. Nothing's the same with your being gone. No one is the same. Everyone is sad and no one even brings your name up around Charlie anymore. They don't even ask how you're doing."

I wanted to feel sympathy, but I couldn't. Maybe if someone had asked me how I was doing a year ago, when I needed them to, I may have ended up somewhere else. I couldn't feel sympathy for him though. I just couldn't. He had only needed to have been willing to see beyond the surface when I needed someone to see me and he couldn't or wouldn't. He was so scared to rock the boat; I decided to jump out before it went down.

"I'm not going back Seth. Charlie can try to bring me back with whatever means he thinks he can, but unless I see someone from the New Zealand Federal Police, or immigration at my door, I'm not going anywhere.

"I won't let it come to that."

Emmett stood to his full height with Edward and me. "Oh, really? But you'll jump on a plane, fly for the better part of a day and be a good little messenger for her Dad? You know, I think you've over stayed your welcome. I'll escort you out."

Emmett didn't leave room for Seth to argue, and I didn't stop him either. I was too confused and pissed off at the situation to know what to say. My stepbrother had just flown for the better part of the day so he could beg me to go home, all at the insistence of my father who's been lying to me for months.

Jesus, when did my life become such a soap opera?

"So how's your day been?" Edward pulled me into a hug, ducking down to softly kiss my lips.

He's always been tactile, and affectionate, but as a couple, it's even more obvious to me. All the little things he did, the time he spent with me. Always stopping round when he had time. I wasn't exactly on the way, or in the area of Greenlane Hospital, but I'd seen him almost every day since we'd met.

"Its only really just started." Edward looked down at his watch and then back up at my face with a smirk.

"You do realise it's lunch time?" Edward asked.

"You do realize someone was texting me at all hours of the night." Edward just smiled at me. Yeah, he knows he's the reason I was up until a ridiculous hour.

"S'not my fault you don't sleep with your phone on silent." I just rolled my eyes at him.

It actually was his fault. There were four different conversations in which he told me I was to leave my phone on loud. The one time I didn't respond to his text message, he was dropping in at two am to check on me. To say he was clingy was an understatement.

I think this is how he was dealing with the immediacy of Uncle Paora's passing. He'd texted Uncle Paora two days before he'd received the phone call about his passing. At the time, he hadn't considered what the delay in messaging would have been. Uncle, according to Edward, had always been quick on the ball to respond. When he hadn't, Edward, like any person juggling a job, family commitments and a social life didn't think too much of it.

Realistically, there's nothing Edward could have done. Uncle Paora had already been checked into the hospital by that point. Aunty Ripeka hadn't thought to let Edward know when he'd finally been admitted into a hospice, she was too busy worrying about Emily.

"Are you okay though?" Edward asked seriously, cradling my face in his hand.

I shrugged my shoulders, reaching for his hand and pulling him with me to sit on the sofa. He followed silently, sitting down first, and pulling me down onto his lap. I snuggled into his chest before pulling his arms around me and settling into him.

I could smell his cologne and feel his warmth. This was home to me. This was my happy place. Anywhere with Edward was my happy place.

"I caught bits and pieces of what was said, Baby." Edward broke the silence. "It's only natural that a father would want his only daughter close by. I'd want my daughter home if she up and took off across the world. He's just being a dad."

I stared down at my hands, watching the way they fit so completely inside Edward's. "He's got a warped way of going about it, Edward."

"I love how this is home for you, I do. I love that you see us as your family, because trust me, you're my whanau too." He paused, seeming to think about what he was trying to say. "He's your Dad, Bella. The only one you're ever going to have and you're his flesh and blood. He may have a fucked up way of trying to let you know that he loves and misses you, but maybe you should try to see past his actions, to his intentions. I can't blame him for wanting you home. The idea, of not being able to see you for extended periods of time fills me with dread, but if it made you happy, I'd do it. I'd let you go—"

"I'm not going anywhere." I cut Edward off, looking up from our joined hands to meet his eyes. "I'm not. My home is with you, Edward."

Edward kissed my lips chastely. "I know baby, but this isn't your only home. Your Dad is home for you too. So is your Mum. You can have more than one home."

"Are you trying to convince me, or yourself? Because even though you're saying the words Edward, it sounds as if you don't want to mean them."

Edward sighed, ducking down until our foreheads were touching. He needed a haircut. His fringe was making me itch.

"In my heart, I know it's the right thing to tell you, but at the same time I can't stand the thought of you leaving me." I closed my eyes, just enjoying his warmth. "More than anything else Bella, I want you, but I want you to be happy. If being with your family, your Dad means you'll be happy I—I don't know what I'm saying anymore Bella."

"It's not that I didn't plan on ever going back. It's nothing like that. It's the idea of how he's trying to go about it; sending Seth here, or Seth coming here on his own—whatever the actual truth is. My mother is something else entirely; she's like a needy child. She doesn't know how to think about anyone other than herself."

"She's your mum Bella, she managed to raise you." I bit back a laugh.

"She didn't raise me. Even when I was a baby, Charlie was pulling double duty being Mommy _and_ Daddy, and trying to build his career. Renee was off trying to chase her own dreams. When it was just the two of us, I was the mom. I wasn't nurtured and raised like you three were. I had to grow up fast, otherwise we'd have lost our house, or the power would have been cut off. Worse than all of that though, is that I can't say 'no' to her; I grew so used to letting her have her way; the idea of saying no just doesn't exist in my world."

Edward's lips brushed the crown of my forehead.

"If she asked you to go home—back to the States, are you saying—would you say yes?" There was a hint of vulnerability in his voice that he was trying to hide.

Because I knew what he wasn't saying. Would I let my Mom take me away from him—from the Cullen's? I wanted to say 'No', and mean it. I wanted to be able to tell him that no one could take me away from him, but I wasn't sure.

"I want to tell you 'No'. I do."

"But you don't want to lie to me." Edward sighed, before tightening his grip around me.

"I won't leave you, Edward. I don't want to leave you."

There was so much unspoken between us; the most obvious being that my words would mean absolutely nothing unless I followed through with them. I hadn't been able to tell Renee 'no' a day in my life, I prayed that the past seven months had changed me enough that I'd finally be able to stand up for myself.

One could only hope.

Days, then weeks passed without a word from Seth or Charlie. There was no word from Renee, and absolutely no word as to whether or not Seth had told Charlie I had Edward and the Cullen's and that I was happy.

There was nothing but radio silence. That was the hardest thing of all. I knew everything was too good. I was so happy; everything was finally working out for me. I hadn't managed to find a permanent job yet, but I was substituting at Point Chev. Primary on and off, and I was tutoring for NCEA levels 1, 2 & 3 for the local high schools.

For once, it was nice having people appreciate my work. I may have had a secure job when I was living in Seattle, but they didn't appreciate my work. They expected it. They had turned something I loved into a chore.

"Yo?" I was pulled from my musings, as Rose walked in through the front door.

"Hey Rose." I smiled, waving from my seat at the kitchen table. I'd been sitting here so long my cup of tea had long since gone cold.

"I text you to see if you wanted to have dinner tonight, but you didn't respond. Thought I'd ask you in person." Rose said as she sat down next to me. "Where's your phone?"

I pointed over to the counter where my phone had been charging for the better part of a month, in expectation of a phone call or message from my father. I was anxiously waiting for something to come through, but every time my phone lit up with a message, I refused to look at it in case it was my dad.

I had to work myself up to it, and the hour and a half between Rose's text message and her arrival was not enough time.

"Oh, you still haven't heard anything?" I shook my head. "What's the worst that can happen?"

I sighed, resting my chin on my palm as I settled my elbows on the table.

"What're you worried about the most, B?"

"Renee."

"She's your mum, right?" I nodded my head as Rose sat down next to me. She slid my phone across the table in front of me. "What's there to be worried about?"

I could see the genuine curiosity and concern on her face. She was worried for Edward. He was like her brother and unlike Jasper, she chose to love Edward. At least that's how Emmett tells it.

"I didn't grow up like you guys did, Rose. My childhood wasn't a real childhood by any stretch of the imagination. I raised Renee, not the other way around. I watched her heart get broken, I paid the bills, and I did the grocery shopping. I had to be the adult, and she was the child."

Rose just looked at me. I could see on her face that she was trying to piece something together, but she looked like she was struggling.

"You don't agree?"

"It's not about whether I agree or not with the way you grew up—I mean, who am I to say anything about the way you were raised? What I don't understand, is why your mother's inability to mother you as a child has made you worry about what she'd say now. If it was me, I'd have written her off a long time ago."

"Even if she was your Mom?"

"Because she's my mum." Rose said, as I sat up straight. "Look, I say this because I love you, and I think you're good for Edward. But if she's been so…absent—for lack of a better word, why do you still let her have the power over you that you're suggesting she has?"

I just looked at Rose. The way she'd phrased things, it made me look back on things with new eyes.

"Look, don't take this the wrong way—set me straight if you want." Rose said seriously. "I think you need to look back on your life, Bella. Think about what's made you happy, and where and with whom you have been the happiest. No one will be able to take that from you. Not even your mum."

I simply looked at Rose—no one had ever put things quite in perspective like she had. When had I been the happiest? I don't really think I've ever been happier than I have been with Edward and the Cullen's.

I loved and missed Charlie. Even when I was living with Renee, Charlie had always been old faithful. I always enjoyed spending my summers with him. We had quiet time on the water when we went fishing. I hated fishing, but I loved baiting the hook and the silence of the boat. He didn't hover and he let me read while he fished.

That was always the type of relationship we'd had growing up. It worked for us. Sure, he was taciturn, and not always in touch with his feelings, but I knew he loved me. It was the little things he did that made me feel his love.

He skinned and filleted the fish at Billy's rather than at home. He always bought me a new coat in November. He would always have a stash of chocolate for me. I'd mentioned liking Cocoa Puffs once on a visit and every summer after that he had Cocoa Puffs in the cupboard.

Charlie didn't forget he had bills; he'd managed to set up automatic payments all on his own. He wasted a lot of water, putting in a load of washing every day, and though the house wasn't spotless, it was clean and tidy. He was over protective though, in an almost debilitating way when I moved in with him in my junior year.

Renee was the antithesis of Charlie. She forgot to pay the bills. I had to remind her to put gas in her car, and I had to start doing the laundry when I was in elementary school because she kept forgetting, and sent me to school in clothes that were the least dirty. I learned very quickly how to be a clean child. Where Charlie was strict, Renee was too lenient. I didn't have order at all, except for school.

Moving here and being surrounded by the Cullen's was the most unique experience of my life. They took me in with open arms; they gave me a roof over my head, and helped me find a job. Every one of them stopped by to see me; they were always hugging me and calling me nicknames. They were almost always feeding me, and on top of all of that, they never once asked for anything in return.

"I think I know what to do now." I told Rose honestly. There was hesitation evident in her blue eyes as she stared back at me.

"You wouldn't only be leaving Edward behind, Bella. You'd be leaving us all."

"What makes you think I'm leaving?" Before Rose could answer, I thought I heard the front door. I turned around to look, I even shouted 'come in', but maybe I'd been hearing things.

Rose shrugged her shoulders, so it was highly possible.

"You didn't turn out too badly, Bella and even though your Dad seems to have a poor taste in partners for you, he's your dad. You've talked about how much of a mess your mum is, but not your dad."

I grabbed Rose's hand and gave it a squeeze. "Yeah, next to Renee, Charlie is pretty awesome, but you guys—for the first time in my life I feel like I'm a part of a real family unit. I don't think you understand quite how much that means to me."

"What if your mum turns up all of a sudden and asks you to go home?" Thinking back on what Rosalie had said about where I found my happiness, the answer was simple.

"I've never been happier, in my life, than the way I've felt with you all. That's a fact."

"Then why do you still need convincing?" I shook my head vehemently.

"I never needed convincing, I don't think. I just needed reminding. Renee has always had power over me whether she realized it or not. Her hold on me made me miserable." I answered with a new sense of clarity.

"Then my work here is done and I expect to see you 'round ours for dinner tonight. Tell Edward too when he stops by." I nodded, as Rose kissed my cheek before leaving.

I sat at the table thinking about everything I had gone through with Renee growing up. My failed childhood, cab rides to the airport to spend summers with Charlie because she was either still in bed, or too preoccupied to drive me. I had to make sure there was always ice cream in the freezer for when someone else broke her heart.

I looked down at my phone to check the time. Rose really hadn't been here all that long, so I figured Edward should arrive soon so we could have lunch together.

My phone registered that it was after one. I figured maybe he had gotten caught up at work, so instead of making myself something to eat, I boiled the jug and made myself a cup of tea instead.

When I finished drinking my tea, and Edward still hadn't arrived, I worried that something had happened to him. Normally he'd tell me if he was running late, or he'd text me just casually throughout the day. Maybe he was in surgery?

I spent so much time waiting for Edward to turn up, my ass went numb and I had pins and needles in my feet. I figured lying down on the couch would be the better choice, so I shuffled over to the couch and lay down.

Compared to the chair at the table, lying across the sofa was incredibly comfy. Within a few minutes, I found myself drifting off to sleep.

Banging on my apartment door startled me awake. I wasn't sure how long I'd been sleeping, but the sun was definitely beginning to set outside my window.

When the banging didn't start up again immediately, I thought briefly that I'd dreamed it until it started again. "Bella!" the banger cried, "Bella!"

Given my door was very rarely locked these days; I was most certainly surprised to have someone trying to knock it down.

Worried for the safety of my door, I quickly stood up. If Charlie was here, he'd think I was an idiot, but I knew that voice. At least, I was fairly certain I did.

I opened the door quickly, Edward unfortunately was mid knock, and he ended up knocking on my forehead.

"Bella!" he said shocked and surprised. "You're still here." He was clearly drunk, and was lacking the determination between inside voice and outside voice, but the thing that registered the most for me, was how shocked he was that I was still here.

"Of course I'm still here. Where would I go?" I asked honestly as I quickly tried my best to help navigate Edward inside the room.

His steps were heavy and awkward, but so was his weight. With my arm around his waist, I tried my best to guide him. I wanted to walk him toward the couch, but his inability to walk at all had me thinking that leading him to the sofa would be a terrible idea.

There were too many things for him to run into or trip over. It was a bit more of a walk, but I held onto him and carry-walked him into my room. It didn't take much for me to push him onto the bed.

He was stinking drunk. It was practically leaking from his pours. Now I knew Edward, he mostly drank beer. I'd seen him drink through a box of fifteen of Lion Red, the Cullen beer of choice by himself, and he was still functional. I shuddered to think of how much he'd have to have had to drink to be in such a state.

"You lied—you're leaving." Edward sobbed, just as I tried to guide him onto my bed. "You said—Rose."

I had no idea what he was talking about. I wasn't leaving. Rose had helped me see the mistake in my wanting to leave if Renee showed up. I was happy here, happier than I'd ever been.

"Baby, I'm staying. I'm not going anywhere." I told him as earnestly as I could manage.

Looking into his eyes, I could see the drunken haze dulling their brightness. They were also red too, bloodshot. I couldn't tell if it was due to the excessive consumption of alcohol, or if he'd been crying. Realistically, it could easily have been both. He was in a terrible state, and he was already clearly emotional.

"You said." He all but sobbed, clinging to my shirt.

"When, Edward? When did I say?"

"With Rose." He said, again bringing Rose into this. I only recalled having one conversation with Rosalie, and all she'd done was to help me realize the place I wanted and needed to be was here, with Edward.

"I didn't tell Rose I was leaving Edward; she made me realize that I couldn't leave."

"'bout 'nee?" I realized I was having a conversation with a heavily intoxicated person, but there was a desperation in his voice that made me think he really needed to hear this.

"She can come and try to take me home, but I'm not going." I tried to fill my voice with as much conviction as possible, so Edward would understand.

I couldn't leave. New Zealand was beginning to feel as every part of me as the United States.

"Rose…?" Edward trailed off confused. I couldn't be sure if it was the alcohol that had him cloudy, or genuine confusion.

"Its okay, Baby. I'm staying." I offered, trying to shush him. He needed to sleep; I could see it in his face.

For whatever reason, he was under the impression that I was leaving and it made him drink until he was blind drunk. Definitely something he would need to work on, but that was clearly a conversation to be had when he was sober.

He was far more lucid than Jacob ever was when he was this intoxicated though. Less grabby too.

"Hush now. Sleep, okay? I'll be here when you wake up." I said, as I started running my fingers through Edward's hair. It was still it's usual softness, but slightly oily too. He'd either been sweating a lot in his sleep, or maybe he hadn't washed it at all today.

Under the musk of Lion Red, it really was hard to tell.

"Love you Babe." I heard Edward mumble as his eyes drifted closed and his breathing levelled out.

There was so much that he and I clearly needed to talk to about in the morning, but for now, I chose to let him sleep. No good would come out of a conversation at this point.

When Edward started snoring, I knew he'd drifted off into a drunken slumber. I couldn't help shaking my head at him. What could turn my beautiful, strong man, into a person who got scared and turned to alcohol?

I met his family, and they never hinted that any of them were dependent on the drink, ever. Sure, they imbibed when they partied, but never to excess. They got happy, and that was that. They chased everything with water, and they most certainly had livers of steel because they could certainly pack it away.

This was different though. From the brief snippets of sense I managed to drag from Edward, this was the result of fear. He was so scared I was leaving; he needed to find something to numb the pain. If that was going to be his coping mechanism when things got tough, I couldn't help but worry about our future.

I wanted a life with Edward, including children. I wanted everything, but if he turned to the bottle when things got tough, I needed to get out before my heart became too entangled. Realistically, I don't think I could handle losing Edward of my own fruition, but the idea of losing him down the track to a mistress of hops and barley in theory sounded a lot more painful.

I quickly placed a kiss on the crown of Edward's head, before getting up and wrestling off his shoes. He was a dead weight, and a lot more pliable than any grown man should ever be.

Getting his belt off was a lot more difficult. As usual Edward was wearing slacks, but with the way he'd situated himself on his side—almost in a recovery position, made trying to get him unbuckled worthy of the mission impossible theme song. It took me a few attempts, but eventually I was able to get his belt off.

I wanted to take off his pants and button down, but it was just too hard so I left them on. I hoped he didn't get the same suffocating feeling that I got when I slept in loose pants.

I left Edward on my bed, but he didn't have a blanket, so I grabbed the one off the back of the sofa and draped it over him. I was still a bit surprised by the events of this evening. I didn't ever think I'd ever have to deal with this level of inebriation in my life.

It was eye opening what fear could do to a person. At least, I hope this was just fear and not a common thing. I'd known Edward now for several months, and I'd only ever seen him as a happy drunk.

In the living room, I picked up my phone. I noticed several text messages from Rose and I remembered we were supposed to have gone to dinner at Rose's.

I quickly typed out my apology, but I wasn't surprised to find my phone ringing a moment later. I was surprised however to see it was Esme.

"Hey Esme." I answered softly, hoping Edward wouldn't wake. Realistically it wasn't going to happen, but I still didn't want to chance it.

" _We missed you tonight, Bella. We were worried that maybe you'd been contacted by your parents."_ I shook my head no, but she couldn't see me.

"No, no. Nothing from them. Uh—," I paused not sure how to respond. "Well, I had all intentions of coming, but I fell asleep and then Edward turned up knocking on my door."

" _Call me useless, but I fail to see why that would stop you from coming, unless—doesn't matter."_

"Don't be stupid, you're not useless—and uh, no." I said quickly, settling down into the sofa. How do you tell your partner's mother, their son turned up blind drunk? Let's go with the Band-Aid approach. "Edward turned up on my doorstep, banging it down."

" _I thought he had a key?"_

"He does, but that's not the issue." I quickly clarified. "Esme he came to my door completely off his face drunk!"

There was dead silence in response and I worried the line had dropped out. I quickly looked at my phone, and saw that it was still showing an active call. "Esme?"

" _Sorry. Sorry."_ She offered quickly _. "I. I'm just—I actually don't know what to say."_

The phone line hung between the two of us, because really, I had no idea what to say in this situation either.

" _Did he say why?"_ Esme broke the silence.

I thought back on the broken conversation. "He didn't say a lot, but he kept saying something about me leaving and Rosalie. I—I don't know. He seemed really worked up like he thought I was giving up on us and moving home. I mean, I'm not. I'm staying. Renee can turn up with a letter from the President himself and I don't think it would make me leave."

" _When was the last time that you spoke to Edward about leaving?"_

"I don't know—it's not like I'm keeping score, but probably the other night. It doesn't come up often; I think he's trying to avoid the conversation."

" _That wouldn't surprise me. That boy really dislikes confrontation."_

I groaned. How would that cause conflict?

"If he'd have just come and asked me..." I sighed, hearing Esme's agreement through the phone. "Are you with Rose at the moment?"

" _Yeah, we're all here for dinner."_

I figured as much. "Can you apologize for us; say whatever you think is necessary. I'm going to watch Edward, and make sure he doesn't throw up in his sleep or worse."

" _He's lucky to have you, Bella._ "Esme said kindly.

"I'll remind him how lucky he is in the morning. Have a good night." Esme said her goodbyes, and I quickly ended the call.

I was still at a loss for words to describe quite how I was feeling. I'd never seen a person I loved get so drunk before, and to think that it could be in relation to something I had done or said. It was like a knife to the heart.

I seriously thought Edward and I were solid, unshakeable, even. But this. This was something I never saw coming.

I walked toward my bedroom, and I could hear Edward's snores. Quietly, I pushed the door opened, surprised there was some resistance. Peeking my head around, I could see Edward's belt was caught beneath the door. It was a short fight, and a hard won battle to pry it free, but eventually, I got it out and away from the door.

I leaned against the door jamb and watched Edward sleep. Even in his slumber, he looked like he couldn't relax. His brows were furrowed, and he kept tossing and turning. When I over imbibed, I'm pretty sure I slept like the dead.

Even smelling like a brewery, I found myself unable to turn away and sleep on the sofa. I climbed up on the bed, next to Edward. I couldn't peel back the covers, so I snuggled up close to him. I could smell hints of Edward under the alcohol, and unbelievably, that was enough for me to settle in.

"I love you, my stupid, stupid man." I whispered as I closed my eyes and allowed sleep to overtake me.

A heaviness pressing against my bladder woke me the next morning. I was uncomfortably hot, and the urge to go to the bathroom was getting increasingly worse. Opening my eyes, I had to blink a few times. In the confusion of everything going on last night, I'd completely forgotten to close the blinds.

Edward had rolled over at some point in his sleep and thrown his leg over my hip and it was pressing down into my bladder. I tried moving him gently, but all that did was make him snuggle all the more tighter.

"Edward!" He startled, lifting his leg off of me finally, but also rolling off the bed in the process. I didn't even have time to laugh as I shot to the bathroom to relieve myself.

When I walked back into my room, a lot lighter, Edward was still on the floor. His arm was thrown over his head and he was groaning.

"How're you feeling?"

"Not so good." He groaned.

"I'm not surprised." I offered as I sat down, cross legged, on the bed. "It looks like you had yourself a right old time last night."

"I'm so sorry, Baby, for anything stupid I may have said last night."

I couldn't help myself as I leaned forward and started running my fingers through the length of his hair.

"Do you remember anything?" He shook his head. "You were so miserable, Edward—"

"I'm so, so sorry." He cut me off before I could continue. He sat up, rolling onto his knees grabbing a hold of both of my hands. He was leaning forward, holding our hands, so they rested in my lap. "I really am sorry. If I said and did anything stupid, Baby. I—I don't really remember what happened, but I am so sorry."

"Stop apologizing. I don't want you keep saying you're sorry, when you don't even know why you're apologizing." Edward nodded his head. I could see in his eyes he was definitely tired, but the drunken haze had lifted, and he was most definitely more lucid; although he probably could have used more sleep. "I just want to know why you drank so much—I, I've never seen someone so intoxicated in my life."

Edward paled, and I worried he was going to throw up. "I didn't do anything to you, Bella, did I? Don't spare my feelings. I—" He let go of my hands and shuffled back across the floor tugging at his hair.

Under his breath, I was pretty sure I could hear him cursing himself out, but I wasn't certain. It definitely sounded like it though.

"Stop berating yourself Edward, you didn't do anything to me other than wake me up." He looked up at me like he didn't believe me. "If you had, the last thing I would have done was put you to bed. You didn't hurt me. You just confused me. You—," I paused. "You seem to think I'm leaving Edward."

He nodded his head, like he agreed with that assessment. "I'm not leaving Edward."

"But I heard Rose and you yesterday. She said something about you leaving me—us." I slapped my forehead. I knew I'd heard the door yesterday.

I slid down off the bed and knee crawled my way to Edward. I grabbed both of his hands in mine, but I didn't stop moving toward him until our foreheads were touching.

"You silly, misinformed, man." I cooed. "If you'd stuck around another minute, you'd have heard me tell her I wasn't leaving. She pointed out to me something I have been overlooking the whole time—my happiness. She told me to think about where I'd been the happiest in my life, and that's been here with you and your family. I told you, I'm not leaving you Edward. I can't."

"But I heard Rose." He muttered, uncertain.

"You probably did, but you clearly didn't hear me." Edward dropped his eyes down from my gaze. "Look at me Edward." I said softly.

A few beats passed before his green eyes met mine again.

"I've never been happier in my life, than I have since I met you. Even before we were Edward and Bella, when you were my best friend, I still couldn't remember a time when I'd been happier. That's what Rose told me to think about. She told me to think about where, when and with whom I was the happiest, and it put everything into perspective. I've never been happier than I've been since meeting you."

I could tell the moment everything clicked for Edward, but I had to stop him. I clapped my hand over his mouth just as he was about to lean in and kiss me. "Shower and brush your teeth first. You smell like a brewery."

Edward laughed at me, but he got up and headed toward the bathroom. We'd had enough sleepovers now for him to have a change of clothes and a toothbrush waiting for him. Though in our near future, I imagined a conversation about permanency cropping up.

I sat on the floor, even as I heard the shower start. Our conversation didn't even scratch the surface of everything that we needed to discuss. Realistically though it was probably a good start

I decided Edward must be hungry, so I called down to Alice. She was already in and answered on the first ring.

" _Yo_." I shook my head at her greeting.

"You realize your family really needs to work on their phone manners." I offered, making Alice laugh.

" _Oh give it a rest. There's caller ID that comes through. All of the other rooms show the room numbers except for yours_. "

"Right…" I trailed off. "Anyway, I was calling down to see if you could have breakfast for two brought up. Edward and I need to have a talk and I don't want to leave to get something."

" _Yeah, that's sweet, B. Mum told me about last night. I'll be up shortly, kay? Keep me posted 'right sis. I really don't want you to leave, but, yeah. I'll be up soon_." She rushed everything out so quickly, and then hung up before I could get a word in, but I just shrugged it off. She was like that sometimes. I guess that's why she was able to run this place so easily.

Edward, not surprisingly was still in the shower by the time I got off the phone. While I waited for our food to arrive, I boiled the jug and tidied my room. Somehow we'd managed to mess up the bed terribly last night, so I assumed that had a lot more to do with Edward's sleeping habits than mine. I'd been the one that woke up in an Edward burrito.

I'd just finished the bed when Edward stepped out of the shower smelling like my body wash—coconut and vanilla. He looked a lot better than he had earlier, and he certainly smelled better.

"Can I have that kiss now?" he pouted as he crossed the room, still dressed in only a towel hung low on his hips.

I rolled my eyes, but relented all the same. His lips were warm on mine as he kissed me softly. A quick peck followed by another until we were making out like teenagers.

This could have quite easily escalated into something more, given Edward was wearing a towel and my bedroom was only a few steps away, but Edward had the control of a saint.

I gave him one more kiss on the lips before I stepped away. "Breakfast'll be up soon, so you might want to put some clothes on." I said as my eyes scanned over the length of him. I really was lucky I thought to myself as I looked at the moko tattoo stretched across his back in a mixture of solid and shaded lines and patterns. Knowing he still wanted to incorporate me into the piece still amazed me.

Edward turned around and headed back into my bedroom, I thought his hand was holding the towel in place until it loosened entirely around his hips and he was holding it in his hand.

My eyes were all but trained on his ass, and what an ass it was. I knew he went to the gym religiously; it was obvious in his overall definition. His pecks and abs were a masterpiece certainly, but the curve of his back and the defined line of his spine were downright sinful.

I didn't know the name of all the muscles in someone's back, but all of his were perfect.

"Tease." I called after him, just as someone knocked on the door. Edward heard it too and quickly picked the towel back up and wrapped it around his waist.

I wasn't shocked to find Alice at the door. I was expecting her to be holding a serving tray, so seeing a McDonald's bag and a cup tray in her hands was a bit of a shock.

She saw my surprise and just smiled. "Mum called me, remember? Besides, it's guaranteed hangover food. Here," she handed me the bag first, followed by the tray of drinks. "Long black for Edward, trim caramel latte for you and two OJ's. Enjoy."

"Thanks." I called to her retreating form, but she merely waved her hand as she continued to jog down the stairs.

"I smell Mickey D's." Edward said, snaking his hand around my waist and tucking me into his side. For a very brief moment, I assumed he was reaching for the paper bag in my hand, but he just hugged me to him and walked us over to the sofa.

"Don't want to sit at the table?" I questioned as Edward took the bag from my hands, and sat it down on the coffee table, followed by the tray of drinks.

"Nope." He answered quickly, flopping down in to the cushions and pulling me down onto his lap.

"Too mainstream?" I joked, making Edward laugh before quickly leaning down and pecking my lips.

"You just get me."

I shook my head at him, and he winked, before he reached around me and started pulling everything out of the bag.

Alice clearly didn't do anything halfway because by the time he'd emptied the bag I could have sworn there was nearly one of everything on the menu laying on the table.

When Edward realized he wouldn't be able to eat with me sitting in his lap, he gave me room to move, so I could sit beside him. He still kept an arm around my shoulders, holding me close.

"I always love sending, Alice for breakfast." Edward laughed, as he opened the lid off one of the containers in front of him.

I recognized it once he'd opened the lid; it was a Big Breakfast, only it was different. Rather than a sausage patty, it was well, sausages. Edward caught my staring.

"Did you want some?" I shook my head because I'd never really eaten big breakfasts.

"It just looks different to what I'm used to." Edward shrugged and offered me the hotcakes. Those, for whatever reason I loved. Even after I found out they were pre-made; snap frozen and heated in the microwave, I still loved them.

"I figured McDonald's was more or less the same everywhere, but I don't know what that is." I said pointing to one of the wrapped bagels.

"NYC benedict bagel. It's got the most amazing hollandaise sauce on it." I thought back, and I couldn't ever remember having ordered a bagel before, but the idea of hollandaise sauce was certainly appealing. Then again, I also didn't frequent McDonald's much. Jake was staunch against it, Charlie hated fast food chains and Seth preferred Taco Bell,

Hotcakes forgotten I reached for the bagel instead. I figured I'd most likely regret this later, but for now I was definitely keen to see what it tasted like.

Biting into it, I couldn't help but moan and turn to give Edward a smile. It was awkward with my cheeks puffed full of food. Edward just seemed to look at me.

Swallowing the bite in my mouth. "What?"

Edward set down his breakfast and turned to me, reaching for the bagel in my hands and set it down too.

"Edward?" I asked confused, until his lips crushed mine. Before I could register what was happening, I was on my back and Edward was between my legs.

His kisses were bruising, but his hands were tender as he held me around the waist with one hand, while the other crawled up my back threading through my hair.

"That sound." He said, pulling away and looking me in the eye. His eyes were so dark, more black than green and the way he was pressing against me, I could gather as to why. "You. Have. No. Idea." He punctuated each word with a kiss and a hip grind.

I do now buddy. I wanted to tell him, but I really didn't get the chance.

His mouth was back on mine immediately. He tasted like sausage with a lingering hint of mint from when he'd brushed his teeth earlier.

We were grinding and making out like teenagers, and he was amazing. He was pressing against me with the right amount of pressure at just the right angle and I could feel myself chasing an orgasm.

Realistically, it wasn't going to take much, it had been too long. When I felt Edward getting a little more eager, I knew he too was nearing the brink as his movements less rhythmic and more urgent.

Just as I felt the coil in my abdomen my front door was opened and Esme walked in.

"Shit." I heard her curse, as I sat up immediately sending Edward sprawling across the other side of the sofa.

Clearing my throat, I turned to look at Esme. I couldn't tell if she trying not to gag, or holding back her laughter.

"Morning?" Even to me it sounded like a question.

"Morena." Esme said taking a seat in the arm chair, helping herself to one of the hash browns.

"Hey Ma." Edward sounded terribly embarrassed I felt sorry for him. Not that I wasn't embarrassed myself, but Esme walking in on Edward having sex would be like Charlie walking in on me—mortifying!

"I see you're feeling better."

He was actually feeling really good, but I don't think Esme needed to know that.

"Ugh, I still feel a bit seedy, but all things considered, it could be worse." Esme nodded her head.

"You didn't drive here last night, did you?"

Edward appeared to think about that for a moment. "I don't know. Was my car downstairs? Bella," Edward turned to look at me, "did you see my keys anywhere? Did I have them with me last night?"

Gnawing on my lip, I tried to remember back to last night. For starters he didn't let himself in, and I had checked his pockets and they hadn't been there. He certainly wasn't carrying them.

"You know, I don't think you did." Both Edward and Esme let our relieved sighs though there was a bit of a knowing look on her face.

"It doesn't make what you did last night any less stupid. What the hell were you thinking?!"

I felt like I wanted to be anywhere but here, but there was nowhere for me to go. I shrunk back into the sofa, hoping to fade into the background.

"I know." Edward said, sitting up properly, so he was looking Esme in the eye. "I know it was stupid, but, well I couldn't help it. It just felt like everything was slipping away, and that's no excuse. I just, the idea of Bella not being here and going back to her dad just about killed me. "

"I know son, we all felt that way. We did—do. But alcohol, really? I thought we raised you better than that." Esme shook her head as if she were taking the blame on herself.

"Stop it, both of you." I interjected. "Edward cocked up, Esme. He knows that, we know that and he has a lot to make up for. But, it's definitely not your fault. I know you're his mom and you probably had time to freak out between my call last night and this morning, but can we just let it go, please? I in part feel responsible too, and if you'd be so kind, I was rather hoping we could just let this go. Lesson learned, I'm sure."

"Bella, Dear." Esme said kindly, making me suddenly feel about an inch tall. "I love you, I do. I respect your input too, but trust me when I tell you, Edward deserves this. He knows our stance on blind drunk stupidity—."

"Mum, come on, I said I was sorry, and I promise it won't happen again."

"It doesn't matter." Esme insisted, turning to look at Edward. "You fucked up, which means you have to explain to your father why I had to drive to your house last night to make sure your car was there as well as your keys."

"But he's going to gut me."

I was surprised to hear Edward whining. Normally, he was pretty sober in his communication and never really sank to whining like his siblings—especially Alice, though I guess that comes from being the baby of the family.

"Wait, you know where my keys are?" Edward said with realization.

Esme nodded her head and fished them out of her pocket. "You left them in your front door."

"You're kidding?" Esme shook her head at me, making me bark out a laugh.

"My God, Edward. You seriously know how to epically cock up."

Edward wasn't laughing though as he looked his mother in the eye. "Everything was there though, right? In my room—nothing was taken?"

Esme shook her head. "No, you were lucky. _Everything_ " she said with emphasis "was where it should be."

I couldn't help but notice how relieved Edward was to hear that. I mean seriously, what had he done, taken home controlled meds or something.

"Thanks, Mum."

Esme shook her head. "Don't thank me, Edward. You still need to talk to your father."

"He's gonna give me a hiding."

Esme just shrugged in response to Edward's panic.

Even as adults all the Cullen children held a level of fear and respect towards their parents. Rightfully so, because even though I had only seen a jovial side of Carlisle, his size and stature alone had me thinking he was certainly not the type of person you messed with.

Charlie might have had a badge, but Carlisle had his own brand of authority. It was softer, but nonetheless authoritative and something told me it was scary.

"You should have thought about that last night." Esme said before standing up. "Anyway, I just wanted to make sure you were alive, and you weren't giving Bella too much grief."

Edward mumbled something unintelligible under his breath and although I know Esme heard him because I did and she was technically sitting far closer to him than I was, she chose to ignore it.

"Love you both." She called at the door before pulling it shut behind her.

"Tell me that didn't just happen." Edward groaned, as he cradled his face in his hands as his elbows rested on his knees.

"Uh…" I trailed off.

Dead air just hung between us as I watched Edward deliberate. It was obvious when he had made up his mind as he reached for me, drawing me into the circle of his arms as he rested his head against my stomach.

He blew out a long, almost tortured breath as he held me. Unsure what was going through his head, but still wanting to comfort him I ran my fingers through the ends of hair. Scratching his scalp gently with my nails.

"Well the mood has been officially ruined."

I sighed, it really had been.

"Well, how about we finish our breakfast then?" I asked lifting Edward's face, so he was looking at me.

He gave me a small smile, letting me go so I could sit next to him on the sofa.

Our breakfast was cold, and it really had lost a lot of its appeal, but I was still hungry. We ate our fill and put the rest into the fridge. We might eat it later, or someone else would.

Sitting back on the sofa, Edward had tucked me into his side as we sat there. We weren't saying much, and given that it was probably the biggest mistake we'd made in our relationship so far. It was probably time we worked on that.

"Edward?"

"Hmm?"

I watched his face as he turned to look at me. There was only curiosity in his green eyes as they met mine.

"We won't work if you get drunk when things start getting tough." Edward reached out, cupping my cheek in his palm.

"I know that." He answered. "I still don't know what happened. I got home from the hospital, and I knew there were a couple of boxes in the laundry. I must have been out of it before I even walked inside though if my keys didn't come in with me. Last night was an exceptional situation, I really believe that. Bella, I'll give up alcohol altogether if I need to, to show you how serious I am about everything. This," he gestured between the two of us, "means more to me, than anything else."

There was so much earnest in his voice, and even in his eyes, that I knew he was being honest. He believed in what he was saying, he wasn't just saying things for the sake of it.

"I'm not going to ask you to give up alcohol, Edward. Let's be realistic. I just don't want to have to see you like that again." Edward was nodding his head along with me.

"You won't Bella. Even though I only woke up a little seedy today, if I had managed to drink my way through anything but beerelse last night, I probably would have woken up far worse than I did."

I nodded my head along with him, remembering the one and only time I allowed myself to get drunk on tequila, wine and wine coolers.

Well I wasn't really feeling it that day, but that probably has more to do with the fact that I blacked out until early evening the following day. Unfortunately I then had to deal with Seth mocking me and my emotional meltdown that I have no recollection of. That was a long story, but to it short, I freaked Sue out when she forgot I'd fallen asleep in the car—where she'd left me for about five hours—and went to drop Seth off at work. Somehow, I managed to walk my way to my bed where I slept for a solid twelve hours. But I digress.

"We need to talk. Whatever happens, we need to talk to each other."

Edward nodded his head.

"From here on out, even if we pretty much do anyway, we tell each other everything."

I turned to him, with a raised brow remembering what Esme said about his penchant for avoiding conflict.

"You can't avoid conversations just because you don't like where they're going. We won't work if that happens. If you don't like something, I need you to tell me. I'd rather fight with you about it than have you avoid conflict. That only makes things worse."

Edward scoffed.

"Because that's perfectly normal." "Be serious, Edward," I said with narrowed eyes. "Yell at me, argue with me. If you're not happy with me, if you've had a bad day, tell me. Don't wait for us to be home before you say something, or when no one else is around. I just—please, never show up on my door step like you did last night."

Edward reached forward, lifting my chin, and holding it to keep my gaze on him.

"If you want to fight, I'll fight."

I didn't realize I'd started crying until I felt Edward wiping away the tears. I'd never admit to Edward how truly scared I had been last night. It was entirely unfounded, and probably a little melodramatic, but still the idea of seeing Edward like that because of me felt like a kick in the gut.

"That's all I ask." I said with a sniffle, smiling up at Edward

"And we seal it with a kiss." Edward joked leaning down and kissing me soundly on the lips.

There was still the chance that Renee or even Charlie could show up, but I was resolute in my decision. I was too happy to leave. It's not because I'm in a bubble either, where everything is perfect. It's not. Last night proved that.. But I'm happy, I'm finally teaching in an environment where I feel like I'm actually making a difference.

"No crying, Baby Girl. Okay?"

I nodded my head at him before pulling his arms around me and snuggling into him. I love how much he loved to snuggle. He was really good at it too. Charlie didn't snuggle, Seth liked a good hug, but Jake always thought it was needy.

Edward didn't. He liked touching me, and I loved being touched by him. There was another thing he did well, and that was to show me how much he loved me.

A few minutes passed before a thought returned to me.

"When are you going to talk to Carlisle?"

Edward groaned and I felt him burying his head in my hair as he just held me to him.

* * *

 ** _Poor Edward... but can you blame him? What would you do if you thought your forever dream was being taken away... a second time?_**

 ** _Anyway, you know I love reading your thoughts._**

 ** _Arohanui ki a koe,_**

 ** _NicNyx._**


	5. Chapter 5

**For all you Charlie haters, play nice. He's not as bad as he's come across, I promise. Maybe you'll end up liking him.**

 **Thanks to EFK, you make sure Bella sounds right.**

* * *

Everything continued as normal after that. Edward and I felt stronger than ever, and true to his word, he didn't drink much. We went to dinner a few times at Rose's house, and Esme's, and Edward only had a beer with dinner.

The ass chewing Edward received from Carlisle was legendary. Edward just sat there and took it all, he didn't say anything in response. Not even when Carlisle asked for an explanation. All he could tell his father was that he was scared. It was no excuse, but it was what it was.

That was the end of it though. Once all was said and done, everything went back to normal. The Cullen's didn't dwell on the past. They just moved on with their lives. That's what Edward did. He went back to work saving lives.

Everything was right in the world, perfect. Too perfect.

Edward had just gotten off a long shift and s we were sitting downstairs in the main kitchen. Alice was making coffee under the supervision of Jasper, who had taken a day off from work after wrapping up his semester at Uni.

Rosalie and Emmett were due any minute, and Esme and Carlisle had just arrived. They both breezed into the kitchen, laden, laden down with shopping bags.

"What'd ya bring?" Alice asked excitingly, clapping her hands as she watched as her parents placed the plastic bags on the marble island.

"Aunty Mere dropped off biscuits off biscuits. There are way too many for just the two of us— not to say we didn't think about keeping them."

Esme's hand shot out as she slapped Carlisle in the arm.

"What?"

She looked at him with a raised brow. Carlisle simply scratched the back of his neck as he looked away.

I had to bite back laughter as Alice muttered 'shame' under her breath.

"Anyway," Esme said drawing attention back to herself. "I figured I'd bring these here, seeing as this is where you all spend most of your time."

Edward, who always seemed to be a tad clingier when he was tired, walked over to his mom and wrapped himself around her. Even though he had to duck down, he laid his head on her shoulder.

"Thanks, Mummy." Alice cheered, as she started digging through the bags.

Jasper watched shaking watched shaking his head before turning back to the coffee machine and finishing the job Alice had started. She didn't even notice as she celebrated her loot.

One by one, Jasper started setting coffees down in front of people. Out of courtesy, Esme followed by Carlisle, were the first to receive coffees. Alice ended up being last except last except for Rosalie and Emmett who arrived just as Jasper started making his own coffee.

"Hey, guys." Jasper greeted. He was the first to see them as the coffee machine sat next sat next to the entry way. "What can I get you?"

Rose only wanted a hot chocolate, having already had a coffee earlier this morning, while Emmett ordered a mocha.

"Bro, we've had this discussion." Edward said from his place resting on Esme's shoulder. "A mocha isn't a real coffee."

"Really Edward? You're going to say that now, as you cling to Mum."

"I might be clinging to Mum, but at least I'm drinking real coffee. That's like coffee lite. Twelve-year-old girls who don't like the taste of coffee drink that shit."

This conversation wasn't going anywhere fast. I knew someone needed to say something, but just before I opened my mouth Rose was shooting Emmett down.

Edward looked self-satisfied, but I merely looked at him with a raised eyebrow and it faded quickly.

"Moving on." Rosalie's announced, sitting down on a stool. She leaned forward over the island, her fingers dancing around the edge of the cup. She looked nervous. "I'm pregnant."

Everyone was silent for a good minute before what Rosalie had said registered.

"You're what!?" Jasper.

"Yay, congratulations!" Alice.

"Finally!" Esme.

"The first Cullen Grandchild." Carlisle.

"Shot Guys!" Edward.

"Wow." Was my intelligent response.

Esme was the first person to gather her wits. "How far along are you?"

I tried to quickly scan her abdomen to see if there was any noticeable difference in its size, but there really wasn't.

She mustn't be mustn't be that far along.

"Sixteen weeks." Or I was wrong.

"What?!" Alice screeched an octave below that of a field mouse. "Why are you only just telling us now?"

"At first, when we wanted to tell everyone, Uncle Paora had just passed away, and we didn't think it was the right time. Then after that there was everything with Bella and Renee, and it just didn't happen."

"Jesus, you've known for that long. How did I not notice?" Edward asked, stepping away from Esme and moving between Rose and me. Carlisle too seemed to be thinking the same thing. Two doctors in the family and neither noticed Rosalie was pregnant.

I watched as both Edward and Carlisle observed Rose. I had an idea as to what it was exactly that they were looking for. Fuller breasts, noticeable weight gain, and either amazing or flawed skin.

Rose already had her fair share of outbursts normally. Though her attitude was definitely backed up with follow through. Cullen's didn't make threats; they made promises or wrote you out of their lives.

"Let it go, Carlisle." Rose shrugged. "I'm carrying small and the baby is sitting close to my spine."

"A girl? That's how I carried Alice." Esme asked, hopefully.

Rosalie shook her head.

"We're going to try to find out at our next scan, Ma."

"Which is when? Carlisle clear my schedule. Wait, can I come, please?"

Emmett looked at Rose, and a small conversation seemed to silently pass between them. There was a slight nod of Rose's head just before Emmett turned to face his mother.

"Yeah Ma, you can come to this one, but no freaking out okay?"

Esme was nodding her head and clapping her hands enthusiastically. We just watched her celebrate. She had every right to be excited. Rose was carrying the first Cullen grandchild after all.

Thinking about it personally, I don't think I could let someone other than Edward—or the baby's father in the off chance it wasn't Edward—be with me for something like that, but that was just me. Rosalie and Jasper had been around Esme and Carlisle for years.

Edward wrapped himself around me, similarly to how he was clinging to Esme earlier, only I could feel his lips brushing against my shoulder.

"I want you to carry my babies." He whispered tiredly. It clearly wasn't his intention, but with the amount of weight I could slowly feel pressing into me, it was obvious he was seconds away from passing out.

"You should go up to bed." I offered, turning my face to meet Edward's gaze. I wanted to laugh as they darkened. The emerald green bled to a darker jade to almost black.

I wanted to tell him to sleep, but he was leaning down and kissing my lips and saying goodnight to everyone before I could. He paused at the entryway and gave me a wink before heading up to my room.

"Why'd he take off like his ass was on fire?" Emmett asked confused. Clearly no one had heard our exchange as they all looked at Edward's departure with raised eyebrows.

I shrugged. "I told him he should go up to bed. Maybe the long shift caught up with him?"

I fought hard to hide the real reason for Edward's bat out of hell departure. No nookie for Edward, it didn't seem fair to broadcast that.

I also wasn't ready to discuss his baby comment with anyone other than him. I was beginning to think that wasthat was a conversation we needed to have.

We'd made dedications to each other, definitely. He never asked me to be his girlfriend, and I guess I didn't ask him to be my boyfriend either. But since we'd made that small step over the line of friendship and into a romantic relationship, he'd been calling me his partner and I him. It was like a seamless, 'we're now one unit' declaration to the world.

It still confounds me how secure I truly feel in this relationship. I know Edward is gorgeous, other women notice that too, but it's almost as if he doesn't even see them.

"Bella?!" Emmett called, gaining my attention. My head snapped around quickly. "Jesus woman, maybe you need a nap too. We've been trying to get your attention now for five minutes."

"Sorry." I could feel the blush painting my cheeks, and I fought the need to hide my face.

"You didn't miss much. We were just talking about the Whanau touch tournament just before New Year's."

I really had been off in my own head.

"What about it?" I asked, looking between everyone's faces.

"Jesus, you really didn't hear a word, did you?" I shrugged my shoulders.

"Anyway, Baby B," Jasper, started, making me turn in my chair to face him. "Every year we have this massive touch tournament between the Maraes. We've got hopeless cousins, as you well know, so we need numbers and we're recruiting you."

"Recruiting me to what—work in the kitchen?"

Emmett seemed to find what I said hilarious as he started laughing obnoxiously. A knee slapping, full bellyaching laugh.

I wasn't the only one looking at Emmett although the stares of the other women were more like glares; especially Rosalie.

"Stop talking." Rosalie said in a no nonsense tone. Emmett sobered very quickly as he started rubbing along the back of his neck, looking down at his feet.

In that moment I realized what'd set him off. Way to walk right into that one.

"Ignore the jackass." Esme said, after casting another glare at her oldest son. "We'd like you to play for us—with us. We're not very good, but we've been going for three years now. It's not until the twenty-seventh."

I bit my lip, unsure of how to respond. I loved the idea of doing something with the with the Cullen's in a family setting, but I didn't play sports. I wasn't good at them. I had poor hand-eye, hand-to-foot coordination.

Actually I was okay at catching a ball, so long as I was stationary. The second movement was involved; I ended up ass over tea kettle. I only ever played ball sports a couple of times, and it happened both times.

"B, you've gone white as a ghost, you 'right?" Jasper placed his hand in my shoulder, drawing my eyes to him.

I coughed, clearing my throat.

"Yeah, ugh. I just, well I'm not very good at sports like at all. I don't even know what touch is!"

"It's not so bad. I only ever played soccer as a kid, but I picked it up."

"Yes, but you were already playing a sport—or you had played soccer." I insisted. "Charlie pulled me out of sports when I was a kid because I was so bad."

"How bad could you've been?" I shook my head at Alice's question. She really didn't want to know.

I crossed my arms on the table, resting my head on them. I didn't want to go to touch. I did not know what the game was for starters, and I certainly doubted I'd be any good at it.

Was there a position for water girl open? I'd take that job.

"Look, B, its all fun and games for the most part." Rosalie enthused. "Don't take it too seriously. Touch is like rugby league, except there's no kicking, no tackling and you don't drop the ball because then it's a hand-over."

I panicked. "That's the only part I'd be any good at."

"Bella, I'm sure you're exaggerating." Esme tried to soothe. "No one is that bad at sports."

"You haven't seen me play. My dad, who wanted me to play sports more than anything else, pulled me out. I am that bad. My parents gave up on my ballet lessons after three weeks when the dance instructor asked them to pull me from the class. She gave Charlie a full refund. Including the three weeks I had attended."

"That's fine. Don't play then, but we'd still love for you to come. You can cheer us on." Carlisle added. "I'm no spring chicken anymore, but having one of my girls on the sideline, might make me pull out all the stops."

I smiled at Carlisle, only to laugh when Esme punched him in the arm.

"Because having your wife on the field with you won't do that?"

It was cute watching Esme and Carlisle interact. Their relationship was so different to what I'd seen of Sue and Charlie, even Renee and Phil didn't have quite the relationship they had.

Renee and Phil, and Charlie and Sue had solid relationships. They understood each other, respected each other and loved each other dearly. There was just something that Esme and Carlisle had that I hadn't ever seen in my lifetime.

They were, on this whole other level. One spoke, the other listened. When one hurt, the other felt it. It was like, the cliché twin reference. They were marriage personified, and I only hoped that Edward and I could have that kind of relationship.

"Anyway," Alice said, "you're coming."

"After such a warm invitation, how could I refuse?" I dead panned.

Before the conversations could go anywhere else, one of Alice's staff members was trying to get her attention.

We all turned to see what he had to say to her, mostly out of morbid curiosity. I clearly wasn't the only one although at least I was trying to be stealthy in my eavesdropping. Emmett was leaning forward on the counter trying to listen in.

The guy wasn't exactly talking quietly. There was a woman at the counter trying to get in touch with a guest, but the staff member couldn't find the guest in the log. That aside, the staff didn't give away guest information, for privacy reasons.

At least, I think that's why they didn't.

Alice was clearly getting frustrated by what she was being told. So much so, Jasper actually walked to her side and wrapped his hand around her waist.

"Just to confirm," Alice palmed her face in clear frustration. "The guest she's looking for isn't staying here?"

The guy was nodding his head vehemently.

"Take me to her." Alice said decidedly as she followed after him. Jasper went with her, and after a quick look around the kitchen, everyone was rising to their feet and following after them.

We followed through the dining room, into the main reception area. We hung back though, so Alice could do her job.

There was something familiar about the woman she was speaking to.

"I'm sorry, ma'am, we don't have a guest staying here with that name or that description. You're misinformed. You should try to contact her and find out where she's staying."

Alice's voice was firm and assertive with the woman, but it wasn't necessarily unkind. Though I could tell that there was defensiveness in her tone.

I looked to Esme, who was grasping my shirt tightly. She was clearly responding to the rise in Alice's tone.

None of us were close enough to hear what the woman was saying all that clearly. We were much closer to Alice, or maybe better attuned to her.

There was something in the set of her shoulders; the more I looked it seemed to be protective. Maybe the woman had said something about her business? I'd seen Alice work her ass to the bone for the inn. Edward had made the right choice letting Alice run this place.

The grip Esme had on my shirt, made it obvious to me she did not like the direction the conversation was going.

"I don't know who that woman is, but I'm about to lay her out." I couldn't help but shake my head at the fury in Esme's voice. We didn't even know what that woman was talking to Alice about. We just assumed it was bad.

I could hear the murmurs of the woman, but what she was saying was unintelligible to me, well all of us I think, except, except for Alice.

"I don't like this." Emmett said in his attempt of a whisper.

"I can't stand here anymore." Esme decided, releasing her grip on my shirt as she stepped around me. I watched her roll her neck and shrug her shoulders before she crossed the room. I was about to join her when my phone rang.

Edward. It'd only been half an hour since I'd sent him to bed. I assumed he'd be off in dream land.

"Hey Baby."

" _Hey, did I fall asleep on you?"_

I was torn between a lie and the truth.

"You were really tired baby."

 _"I'm sorry. I guess I ruined the moment."_ Edward sounded upset, and I couldn't let that happen.

"Don't worry about it. There's always next time."

 _"Count on it."_ I could hear his enthusiasm through the phone.

"Hey," I offered quickly. "Why don't you come down to reception. There's a floor show?"

I heard the groan of springs in the background as Edward must have gotten up.

 _"I'll be down shortly."_

I headed toward the staircase to wait for Edward. A full minute hadn't passed before Edward was kissing me chastely on the lips and hugging me to him.

He still looked tired, but a little better rested.

"Come on, let's check out the show." I said pulling Edward along behind me. He matched my strides, letting go of my hand, before wrapping his arms around my middle.

His legs wound up on either side of mine as we walked together. I wanted to keep some distance between us and the woman, like we had earlier, but Edward didn't stop and kept walking us toward the reception desk. I guess if things went south, Edward was the owner.

All the Cullen's had swarmed and were standing as backup for Alice. In the couple of minutes it'd taken Edward to come down, things had clearly escalated.

"Look, I've been polite, and it's gotten me nowhere. I think you should leave." Alice was pissed. It was obvious in the way she was all but shaking as she tried to keep herself from lashing out. Jasper was holding her around the shoulders too, I wasn't sure if it was for her comfort or his.

"Look, I know Isabella Swan is a guest here, and I won't leave until I see her." My hackles rose immediately, and I finally understood why everyone had switched to attack mode.

"All this time," I said, clinging tightly to Edward. "She waited all this time."

"Does it change anything?"

Edward's insecurities surfaced again as he tightened his hold on me.

"No. Definitely not."

I turned my head to kiss Edward before disengaging from his embrace.

"Bella?"

I met Edward's eyes, hoping that in my eyes he could see my love for him, my conviction for us. He eased up somewhat and stepped back giving me room to move. I hoped he'd seen it, because even though I was slowly freaking out on the inside, I couldn't let Edward know.

I've done flight before to avoid conflict. Now, I'm going to fight.

I was halfway between an enraged Renee and Edward before I turned around to give him a quick wink. The glance was more for me than for him.

"Well I'm here now, Renee. You can stop disturbing the peace."

I don't think I'd ever seen her move so quickly in my life. She flit over to me, wrapping her hands around my shoulders and all but squeezing the life out of me.

She finally pulled back when she realized I wasn't hugging her back. Unfortunately it took an awkward five minutes of back patting. Charlie didn't show affection and Renee had only ever done so when it seemed required. My first day of school. Middle school graduation or when she was playing up her super-mom façade for her husband.

It was a duty to be performed and tolerated. Little else.

Her gushing seemed real enough, and for a moment I almost wanted to believe it; even if it was because for once, she may have actually been doing something for me. That all changed when I looked into her overly made up blue eyes.

"Well?" I asked pointedly, walking around so I was standing with the Cullen's at my back. A sideways glance let me know that Edward had joined them and was standing hand in hand with Alice and Esme.

Renee looked at me as if I'd insulted her. She'd done very little for me in my life. She missed my high school graduation because she'd booked a cruise two weeks after I'd given her the save the date card.

"Mom, what're you doing here?"

With a scorned look and a hand held to her chest, she gasped. "Does a mother need an excuse to see her daughter?"

"If you were anyone else's mother, I doubt they would. But you're mine, Renee and I can't for the life of me figure out why you're here." Well, that was a lie. I certainly had a fair idea as to why she was here. I just prayed Seth had been wrong because Charlie conspiring with Renee against me was one step too far.

I'd learned to forgive a lot of things in my lifetime, but at what point did my generosity end? Forgiveness may be divine, but it's not eternal.

"I'm here to see my baby girl, of course." I nodded my head.

"Well you've seen me. I'm alive, I'm working, I'm happy." I deadpanned. I couldn't rise to her enthusiasm level. Her intentions were still suspicious to me.

Maybe that was all the result of Seth's visit. If he hadn't shownhadn't shown up, I'd never have thought twice about her visit. She was always jet setting although seldom to this side of the world.

"I've flown a long way to see you Bella."

Her petulance was grating on me.

"Thanks for coming." I perused her attire. She clearly hadn't flown here from Washington. It may have been nearing the end of winter, but it was still bitterly cold. She was dressed in a thin eyelet dress, an oversized—still too thin—cardigan and a fashionable, but highly impractical scarf draped around her neck.

The reception was climate controlled, the whole building was, so inside she'd be comfortable, but outside she'd have been miserable.

Didn't anyone research the country they planned to visit? It might not typically snow insnow in Auckland, but it's certainly a hell of a lot colder than Phoenix.

"You didn't dress for the weather."

Renee looked down at what she was wearing as if the weather had been an afterthought. "Cute, right?"

I shrugged. "Right." Impractical came to mind. She clearly mistook my comment though as she often did.

"So, who are your _friends_?" The way she said 'friends' suggested they were lesser than her.

I was getting really sick of my family making assumptions about the Cullen's. Yes, they had tattoos. Yes, Emmett and Rose were dressed in coveralls tied at the waist. Yes, Carlisle was wearing Converse under his ripped at the knee jeans and Esme was dressed for the gym. Yes, Edward was still rumpled from sleep, but that did not give her any right to pass judgement on them.

"What're you talking about? _Friends_? These are your future in-laws."

The smug satisfaction of watching my mother trip over herself, in an attempt to correct her faux pas had me biting my lip to fight the snigger wanting to burst forth.

She'd grown up in a working class family, and then she married Charlie. They didn't have a lot when they were married, but they weren't struggling. However, she hit the jackpot when she married Phil.

He was absolutely enamored with her and loved spoiling her rotten. It went to her head though and if I hadn't been seventeen when they married, I probably would've had front row seats to the evolution of Renee.

Renee nervously cleared her throat. "In-laws?"

I couldn't help but notice the way she scanned the men at my back and shot her eyes back to me to look at my left hand.

I was wondering what she saw in the Cullen men because it was probably completely off base.

Esme was the first to respond to the bait.

"I'm Esme, future mother-in-law, it's nice to meet." Renee, in all her composure didn't flinch when Esme kissed her hello. She accepted, with a tight smile. "I've heard so much about you."

Esme, seemed hell bent on killing my mother with kindness.

"And you." I bit my lip to keep from laughing out loud at Renee's attempt to save face.

I could tell Renee had no intention of letting it be known that I'd never named my friends, or mentioned a relationship to her. I hadn't even told Charlie until Seth showed up.

The way I felt toward my mother was a far cry from my normal reaction to her. Currently all I could feel toward her was anger. I'd never once felt anything other than love toward her before, although maybe that hadn't been real love.

Rose had made me open my eyes, more than I think I realized. Sure, my mother was there physically when I was growing up, but for everything else that counts, she was absent.

"Baby?" I asked, holding my hand out for Edward. He walked toward me, grabbing my hand and kissing my lips quickly, before pulling me into his side.

From the corner of my eye, I could see Renee's face screw up.

"It's nice to meet you," Edward said to Renee, as he politely held his hand out for her to shake. She took it, though even I could see her grip was weak, unwilling. "Bella speaks of you often."

His comments, to those in the know, had an entirely different meaning.

"So, do you all work here?"

I didn't notice Carlisle had moved until he was standing next to Esme. "No, I'm a doctor. I work at a private practice about five minutes away."

I noticed Renee's eyes appraise Carlisle. He looked unimpressive dressed casually as he was. It wasn't hard to see the disbelief in her features.

"Oh, and you Esme, what is it that you do?"

"I'm a freelance graphic designer." Renee nodded her head in acknowledgement, but didn't ask any other questions.

Esme looked at Renee, her face still warm and friendly, though there was something in her eyes that wasn't quite as sincere. "What is it that you do, Renee?"

"Oh, you know." She blushed. "This and that. Phil—my husband, works plenty for the both of us, so I guess you could say I'm a homemaker."

"Myself, I couldn't stand the thought of not working. I'd be bored stiff if I didn't have something to do. There aren't enough books or Sky TV in the world to keep me entertained."

Renee tittered at Esme though she didn't comment. She was often a talker, so her new found silence made me weary.

"So you don't work here?" Renee backtracked, though she was looking at Edward wrapped around me.

Edward shook his head from where it was resting against the top of mine. My poor baby was still tired. "I'm technically the owner, but Alice runs the place." He pointed lazily to Alice. "I'm a general surgeon at Greenlane, but I mostly work in obstetrics."

I watched as Renee muttered something under her breath, it looked like 'another doctor', but I couldn't be sure.

Emmett didn't like being forgotten for long.

"My Rosie," he hugged Rosalie to him, "owns Mechanix down the road, and she's also the manager. I'm the lead mechanic, not because of Rosie though. She hated me. I was diplomatically appointed."

From the look on Rosalie's face, the last place she wanted to be right now was in the same room with Renee. I knew she couldn't stand her even though she had never met her until now.

I think I understood more now as to why.

She'd said some things that didn't seem profound at the time, but looking back on our conversation. I could see where she was coming from more clearly. She hadn't just meant the things she'd said as a lesson to me, she'd meant them also as a lesson unto herself.

If she was being a bad mother—not that I saw that being an issue—she wanted to be told. She didn't care by whom; she just wanted to know if her actions were hurting her child in any way. That was the worst case scenario too; Rose wanted to be able to know enough about her own child, her own mothering, that she could see things for herself.

The way Renee should have seen it, or at least wanted to see it.

"I'm Jasper that was Emmett and my sister Rose." Jasper said, with a charming smile on his face. "I work part-time with them filling in at reception. I'm studying to be a psychiatrist."

He didn't speak in his normal drawl. It seemed intentional. I had a feeling he'd been psychoanalyzing Renee from the moment he'd realized who she was.

He may not have been too far into his degree, but from the few times I'd seen the serious side of Jasper, he was certainly observant.

"It's been a pleasure meeting you all," I noticed the way her face slightly turned up as she spoke to the Cullen's. "But I was hoping I could spend some time with my daughter. Bella, could you take me to your suite?"

Renee closed the distance between us, and made to grab my hand. She tried to tug me toward the stairs. I pulled my hand from her grip, fighting a wince as her nails bit into the flesh of my wrists.

"I'm not a guest here, Mom." I pulled my hand from her grip. "You've already been told that."

I didn't lie. I wasn't a guest here—I was a tenant; although I had no intention of telling her that.

She was too judgmental. I didn't want her to see the apartment that I loved so much and ridicule me for it. She'd been as involved as Jacob when it had come to the sterile, lifeless apartment I'd inhabited in Seattle. It'd been modelled after some joke of a designer's portfolio and was a far cry from myfrom my taste. Why? Because Renee doesn't know me.

I don't know why, but seeing Renee in such an immediate contrast to Esme caused me to reflect on what it had been like for me, growing up with her.

With every 'heartbreak' she changed just a little morelittle more. With every new 'life choice' she changed again. If only she'd have found it within herself to have changed for the better, or for herself. At least Phil had made her grow up.

"If you don't stay here than why—do you work _here_?" She spat out 'here' like this place had grown limbs and was about to come at me with a knife. Like the very thought was terrifying. "You're a teacher, Bella. You were well respected at the private school where you taught, and now you're the _help?"_

I could see Alice almost coil to spring as Renee called me the 'help'. Managing in one breath to insult me, and Alice's pride and joy. Edward may have owned The Point, but it was Alice's lifeblood.

"You're about to overstay your welcome." Jasper said calmly, as he held Alice around her stomach. "Bella is neither an _employee_ nor a _guest_ , she's our family. We were having a family meeting when you arrived."

"Bella already has a family."

I shook my head, but before I could comment, Edward spoke up. "Of course she does. She's told us several stories about you all. That doesn't change the fact that we all love her and love having her here."

I looked up at Edward and smiled. He cast his eyes down to me quickly and gave me a wink.

"Good for you, but you really don't have the right to call her family. You're just a bunch of natives with nothing better to do than take in a girl whose lost her way. I know your act."

I didn't get the chance to say anything before Alice put her foot down.

"I think it's time that you leave, Renee. You're upsetting the peace."

Renee spun around to glare at Alice.

"Isn't that a little melodramatic, Alison? Bella?" she looked toward me.

"Her name is Alice, Mom. Alice runs this place, I'm pretty sure she's well within her right to ask you to leave."

Renee looked absolutely livid.

"I have no idea what or _who," s_ he narrowed her eyes, casting her glare at Edward _,_ "has gotten into you, but you're certainly not behaving like your normal self."

I rubbed at my face with the palm of my hands. "Nothing's gotten into me. Jesus, you're worse than Seth. Look, I'm happy can't you just accept that?"

"You make it sound like growing up with me made you miserable. I mean, I know I wasn't the best cook, but you never starved."

Seattle Bella probably would have acquiesced and moved on, The Point-Auckland Bella, wasn't very good at acquiescing.

"Because I learned to shop for groceries myself so I wouldn't have to eat TV dinners."

"Now you're exaggerating."

I shook my head at Renee. I couldn't lie, and I certainly saw no need in sugar-coating anything for her benefit.

She was Charlie's pocket-Ace when Seth's recon mission went bust.

"You mustn't know me as well as you think you do, if you really think I'd say things to blow smoke. You may have been around for me growing up, _Mom_ , but you never let me be a kid. Normal kids don't buy the groceries, or make sure the bills get paid on time. Normal kids, don't have to deal with their mother 'after every heartbreak'."

As I spoke, I noticed Renee's cheeks flush red, soon followed by the rest of her visible skin. I couldn't be certain if it was because she was growing more embarrassed or becoming angrier.

I was so caught up, wondering about which extreme she was feeling, I didn't noticedidn't notice Renee was standing right in front of me, until my cheek stung from the force of her blow.

It wasn't the pain that got to me. Not even a little. It was the fact that my mother had raised her hand to me, and it really pissed me off.

My face had been turned with the movement, and I could see the Cullen women being restrained by their men.

Edward was so close I could feel the anger rolling off him in waves. His fury could only grow though because there was nothing he could do to get the kind of resolution he needed.

I turned my face, so I was looking Renee front on. I was impressed she was trying to strike me again, but this time, I could see it coming and managed to catch her hand before it could connect.

"The truth hurts, doesn't it?" I taunted. Throwing her hand back toward her. "You know, if you start thinking I'm fucked up, you really only have yourself to blame. Children's lives are shaped by the parenting they receive."

I could see her answers burning in her blue eyes, but I didn't want to hear them. There was something more pressing that'd been niggling away at me for years.

"Why did you even take me with you when you left Dad?"

My question was met with more silence.

"Come on, Mom, you wanted to catch up. Let's do just that. Let's have a conversation that's been twenty years in the making. Why did you take me away from Charlie? I remember the way we snuck off in the dead of night. You know he kissed me goodnight, right? When he got home from a long ass night at the station, he came into my room and kissed my forehead. 'Goodnight, Little Bell, I love you.' He must've only just fallen asleep before you were pulling me from my bed and putting me in the car. You didn't even let me say goodbye. You didn't let me contact him for six months. So tell me, mother, _why_?"

In my life, I'd never spoken a word to anyone about what I remembered that night.

I don't know why I had never told anyone before, not even Charlie. My whole life might have been different if I'd fought harder, but, at the same time, I always wondered why Charlie never came after us.

I got to spend most of the summer with him every year, but why didn't he ask to keep me?

I always wondered why he never asked to keep me permanently. I didn't hate living with Renee, saying I did would be a bold face lie, but I did miss being parented. I missed being accepted for who I was and being left to my own devices, which at five years old was Doctor Suess.

Renee never understood my love of books. She thought they were a waste of time. She thought it odd that a little girl could be so caught up in words on a page when she could play with makeup and dolls.

Why the hell did she keep me away from my father who truly cared about me, and accepted me for everything I was, when I clearly never fit her mold for the perfect daughter?

"Now, you have nothing to say." I deadpanned. Having expected the turn out when the word vomit began. "It's okay; I think I can piece it together myself. You did it to hurt Charlie. What happened? Was he spending more time with me than you? Was it the extra hours he had to work at the station because you couldn't decide if you wanted to crochet or quilt? You know what, he may have reached out to you in a desperate attempt to bring me home, but I'm not coming home. I love Charlie, I really do, and even pissed off at him I can't discount his feelings. I'll visit him when I'm good and ready, but you and me? "I gestured between myself and Renee, "You can just leave. Tell Charlie whatever you want, or don't say anything at all. If you love me at all, you'll leave and forget I exist.

"I used to think you had some weird power over me. For whatever reason, I thought I was incapable of telling you 'no'. I know that's not true now. I was worried I'd upset you, and then I'd be forced to have to deal with you. I don't have to worry about that now. Email me when you're ready to know the real me, the one you always thought was weird. Until then, safe travels."

I turned my back on her and headed towards the closest open door—Edward's office. I could hear Renee calling after me, shouting obscenities, and causing a scene as she refused to leave. The Cullen's wouldn't let her disturb the peace for long; I knew that much, so I didn't stick around to watch the fall out. I probably should have, but I didn't.

In the sanctuary of Edward's office, I just made it to the thick, woolen rug before I fell to my knees. In my experience, there was nothing more taxing than bravado. It kicked your ass both mentally and physically, and in that moment, I'd never felt more drained.

I felt more than heard Edward's approach, though I did hear the smallest of sighs as he shut the office door behind him.

I expected him to kneel down beside me, maybe pull me into his arms and hold me, but he went one step further. Edward ducked down, fitting his arms around me, as he picked me up, holding me to his chest as he walked the handful of steps towards the chaise lounge pushed up against the wall. He settled into the seat, stretching his legs out as he lay along the length of it. I was tucked into his chest, my knees bent awkwardly. As I shuffled to get more comfortable, Edward loosened his hold, giving me room to stretch out along with him.

I turned so that I was sitting sideways across his lap; my face was turned so it was resting against his chest, as my back lay against the support of the chair.

Edward didn't say anything; he just peppered kissing along my cheek, my nose, my forehead, the crown of my hair.

"She's left." Edward broke the silence. "Emmett watched her get in a taxi. I don't think she'll be coming back."

I nodded my head in response.

"You shared a lot with us, Bella, but I had no idea their split had been so bad." I shrugged, unwilling to speak just yet.

"I'm not studying psychology like Jasper, but from the couple of classes I took as electives and doing a psyche rotation, I have an inkling as to how those experiences affected your development."

"I don't really want the psychoanalysis Edward, and I also think you just implied I'm developmentally broken."

Edward lifted my chin with his fingers so I could meet his gaze; a cheeky smile dancing along his face. "Baby, don't start putting words in my mouth. As far as I'm concerned, the last thing you are is broken, maybe just a little bent."

With narrowed eyes, I pulled my chin free and shoved him in the chest.

"Dickmunch, are you not supposed to be making me feel better?"

"I am." Edward said squeezing me to him. "But I highly doubt you want me to wax poetic about her coming 'round. I don't know, B, I think your Mum's a bit off. Is it really possible to be that clueless? Neon bloody signs might have been a bit more discrete than what you were throwing at her. How'd it go so far over her head?"

I shook my head sadly as I burrowed down into Edward.

"Edward?"

"Yeah, Baby?"

"I'm ready to talk to Charlie now."

Edward didn't say anything in response. He just held me tighter and kissed my forehead.

He didn't need to say anything. His silence spoke volumesspoke volumes. He supported me. That's what it told me, he'd be right there with me.

"Edward?"

"Hmmm?" I could hear the lack of sleep starting to affect him.

"I love you."

"I love you too, Bella. So much." I nodded my head against his chest. He didn't need to say it. I already knew, but I wanted him to hear it from me.

My outburst had made me tired, and though I hadn't beenhadn't been awake for very long, I found myself drifting off to sleep.

Renee left New Zealand as quickly as she'd arrived. Although at the time, I'd told Edward I wanted to contact Charlie, I still hadn't found it in me to pick up the phone, dial his number and stay on the line long enough to talk to him.

Edward was by my side, every single time I attempted to call Charlie, and he was so patient with me. He didn't get frustrated when I pussied out, which was every single time.

I'd even contemplated boarding a plane and flying out to see him. That freaked Edward out though, and then he started trying to clear his schedule so he could come with me and make sure I'd come home.

I dropped that plan and decided it'd serve me a lot better if we started on the phone and then waited to see where that conversation led.

I wasn't in complete denial; I knew I needed to talk to Charlie. We clearly had a lot to sort through, and some of it was likely to blindside him.

"I'm doing it." I told Edward as he stood in the kitchen stirring our teas.

"Are you sure, Baby?" He asked, before I heard him putting the spoon in the sink.

"I have to." Edward joined me on the love seat, setting oursetting our teas on the coffee table.

I caught his glance at my phone which was layinglying face up on the coffee table, open to Charlie's contact card.

"Will your phone ring Charlie itself?" I shoved Edward good naturedly because I knew all he was trying to do was wade through the tension.

"Dick." I mumbled before tapping the phone icon on the screen. As soon as the dial screen appeared, I was half tempted to end the call. I hit the speaker button instead, and the room was filled with the dial tone.

It rang once, twice, three times and then it connected.

" _Chief Swan._ " I froze, unsure what to say. " _Hello, who is this? If you're some kid pranking me, I will have this call traced and I will find you._ "

Edward nudged my shoulder, drawing my gaze to his face, 'talk to him' he mouthed.

I cleared my throat. "Hey Dad."

 _"Bella!? It's good to hear from you_." Charlie coughed out awkwardly.

"It's good to hear your voice too, Dad. But I think we need to talk, are you free?"

" _Yeah, it's a slow day. I'm in my office._ "

"Good." I answered nodding my head, though he couldn't see me. "For starters, I need to tell you that sending Renee was a low blow."

 _"I'm sorry B-_ ,"

"I'm not finished." I cut off before he could try to apologize. "But I don't care about that right now, it's done. Renee and I said what needed to be said, you and I on the other hand have been dancing around each other for too long."

Charlie cleared his throat through the phone, but he didn't say anything. I took his silence as my cue to continue.

"Talk to me Dad, what's up? And please, I want the truth." I looked at Edward, trying to borrow from his strength. He offered me his hand, and I took it, squeezing it in my own.

 _"It's Billy."_ Charlie said heavily. "He's—he's not good Bella. There was an accident. He's in a wheel chair."

My heart broke for Billy, and Charlie, but also for Jake. Jacob was Billy's son. He had two sisters, but they were living their own lives as well with their husbands. Neither wanted children.

Last I heard from them Rachel was in Hawaii, somewhere and Rebecca was in London. Their check-ins with Billy and Jake had always been few and far between.

"Dad, I'm so—I can't even. How's Billy? _Jake?_ "

 _"That's not all, Bella."_ Charlie continued coughing to clear his throat. _"I got scared, because it was such a freak accident that I went to the doctor-"_

He paused, if for effect or suspense, I don't know.

"Dad?" I questioned wearily when he said nothing. I hadn't noticed how tightly I'd been gripping Edward's hand until he was gently prying my fingers loose. I tried to apologize with my eyes, and I hoped it was conveyed.

 _"They found something Bella, they-they think it might be cancer."_

If I'd have been holding my phone, I'd have dropped it with a resounding thud against the coffee table. I'd probably have ended up picking up the pieces of it. It was on the coffee table though, fortunately.

I was silent for too long, even I knew that, but, I didn't know what to say. At the moment, all I wanted to do was cry.

Charlie, not Charlie! Other than a penchant, for greasy burgers and fries from The Lodge, and the Mom and Pop diner that's been around about as long as Forks itself, he was relatively fit. He walked a lot, he had to train a bit also to keep up with the new recruit he hired every year or so. My dad was in perfect health, he, he couldn't-no, I refuse to believe he's sick.

 _"Bella?_ " Charlie asked his voice perfectly normal. He sounded a little worried, like the call had dropped, but that was it.

"Why—how?" I paused, hoping to gather my wits. "I'm sorry, Dad. I—how can you be so calm?"

 _"Because if this is what gets me, then at least I know I've lived my life._ "

"You're fucking kidding right?" I screamed down at the phone.

 _"Language Bella."_

"Don't 'language Bella' me, after telling me you have cancer. _Cancer!_ I'm on the other side of the world, and your attempt to get me home was to send Seth, and then Renee. Knowing you, I highly doubt you told them what was going on."

Long gone was my death grip on Edward. I'd reached the point where I wanted, no, needed to hit something. The sofa took my blows while Edward watched patiently. I guess Charlie was waiting patiently too because he wasn't saying anything.

I looked up at Edward and he was pointing from himself to the phone and back again. I nodded, because at this point I didn't know what to say.

Edward coughed clearing his throat. "Hello Chief Swan, my name is Doctor Edward Cullen."

I looked at Edward, confused. _Doctor Cullen_? In the time I'd known Edward, he'd seldom ever introduced himself as a doctor.

" _Hello, Doctor Cullen_." Charlie said, confusion lacing his tone. " _Charlie is fine."_

"As is Edward."

" _Okay, Edward. Who are you to my daughter, are you her doctor?"_ I blanched at the thought of Edward as my doctor.

"No, definitely not. I'm a general surgeon." Charlie offered a bit of a gruff clearing of his throat in response. "Well, Sir, Bella's my life-"

" _You married my daughter_!"

"Shit, no Dad." I jumped in. "Life, not wife. We're in a relationship. He's my partner, I love him. We might get married, one day sure, but we're not married right now."

 _"Relationship. One day. This sounds serious, Bella. How long have you knownyou known this guy? How do you know he's not using you?"_ I sighed heavily.

I'm using him, he's using me. Seriously! Did they really think I was that naïve?!

"Dad, I've known Edward for eight months. We've been in a relationship for only about a month. I'm not using him for anything, and he's not using me. We're committed, but that's not the point here. Cancer! That's the point. They think you might have cancer."

 _"That conversation isn't finished, Bella. But yes, they found something on one of my scans; they thought it could be cancer so they're going to do a biopsy. If it is, they think it' has been caught early enough for treatment."_

"Damnit, stop sounding so calm. This could be cancer! Where'd they find it, Dad? Pancreas? Liver?" I looked at Edward for more suggestions.

"Prostate? Breast? Lung?"

 _"I had some weird looking moles; the doctor thinks I could have skin cancer."_ That felt like a slap to the face.

Charlie grew up in the Pacific Northwest. Forks was practically covered in either clouds or rain on a constant basis. Charlie seldom wore anything other than long sleeve flannel or his uniform. I doubt he put on sunscreen religiously, but he did coverdid cover his arms.

"What was is it that the doctor told you, Chief?" Edward was using his doctor voice. I'd actually never heard him use it before, it was kind of sexy, and it was an entirely inappropriate time given we were on the phone with my father.

 _"I had a few suspicious moles on my left shoulder and back. The doctor said something about color and size, abnormalities. I'm sorry, I couldn't hear it. I just booked an appointment and had Shelly adjust my schedule around it."_

"What'd you tell the guys on the force?" I asked, knowing he wouldn't have told them the truth.

" _I was going in for a full, thorough, physical."_

Of course he had. I shook my head and turned to Edward and rolled my eyes. I watched his shoulders shake as he smothered his laughter behind his hand before pulling me into him and kissing my cheek.

"Why aren't you worried?" I asked, Charlie, wishing I'd thought to Skype. Although I couldn't remember if Charlie remembered his password and FaceTime was out of the question if he'd forgotten his Apple ID or his password, which he did often. At least then I would have been able to look at him, for myself. I may need to contact Sue so we could try to get that setup.

" _Bella, I'll worry when I have something to worry about. A couple of overgrown freckles aren't going to worry me, okay?_ "

I sighed, my shoulders dropping heavily with the effort.

I took a deep breath, trying to center myself. It was his decision. If he could find it in himself to be calm, then for him, I guess I had to be too.

"I wish you'd have told me that to begin with."

" _That's what Seth was supposed to do." He said earnestly. "I gave that boy one job, I asked him to tell you. Both he and Sue know. And, for whatever reason he tried to drag you home. I miss you baby. Every day I wish you would come home, and I could see you again, but I can hear how happy you are. That's all a dad wants. That's why I suggested Renee visit. She was going on and on about how you were potentially ruining your life and your career, and I was sick of her emails and calls and told her to just fly out and see you. I didn't think she would. I thought Phil had a bit more control over her. I hope she didn't say anything stupid, Bella. Tell me she didn't do or say anything stupid."_

I bit my lip when I heard the desperation in Charlie's voice. I couldn't lie worth a damn, least of all to Charlie, even over the phone. He didn't make it to police chief by falling for lies. Not even the little white kind.

"Define stupid?"

I actually laughed out loud, so did Edward when we heard him start cussing and ranting through the phone.

"It wasn't what she said Dad, it was what she impliedshe implied. She met Edward's parents; dad and she all but implied they were, I don't know, trailer trash."

 _"Fuck."_ Registered loud and clear through the phone.

 _"I want to apologize, for her, but it's not my-"_

"Don't worry, Chief, we've heard far worse." Edward said, and I didn't doubt that. The Cullen's really were amazingly beautiful people, yet I'd seen theseen the looks and had heard the sly comments passed around at Uncle Paora's tangi.

For whatever reason, there was a lot of shade being passed on this family, for reasons, I'm sure that were entirely outside of their control.

 _"Still, you shouldn't have had to deal with her prejudice. You sound like a nice young man from a good family. She will be receiving a strongly worded email from me."_

He was such a dad sometimes. But I wouldn't have it any other way.

"Let it go, Dad. She and I had words. Actually, I'm shocked she hasn't told you."

Words, was putting it mildly. But it was true. She'd also managed to get herself barred from The Point. I think if the Cullen's had anything to do with customs; they may have tried to ban her from the country on principle alone.

 _"She may have tried. She does that Apple messaging, face thingy, but I forgot my password."_ I visualized him shrugging like it didn't matter. Charlie was about as well versed in technology as I was in medicine. Email was the extent of his technological prowess...and then it took him a day to compose and send it.

"Dad?" I asked seriously, deciding against reminding Charlie where he'd written down all of his passwords-another argument I didn't want to have with him. "Are you sure everything's fine? Do you want me to come home?"

Edward grabbed my hand this time, squeezing between both of his as he held it in his lap.

 _"Bella, baby, I would love nothing more than to have you_ visit _. But I've accepted the fact that you're making a life for yourself, and you're happy. Don't visit me because you think you have to. Visit me when you and your Edward have the time, and can afford it."_

I wondered if he'd have told me truthfully if he wanted me to visit or not and decided that he definitely would have. He didn't mince words, ever. Which meant it was Seth I needed to have a word to.

"Okay, Dad, if you're sure." That was the end of that.

We talked generally after that, just getting caught up on things. Everyone was well; Charlie was happy I had found Edward and that I could trust him. He caught me up on town, and the biggest topic involved the installation of a new stoplight. I told him about the Cullen's and he and Edward talked amongst themselves too, just getting to know each other.

Given the reason I'd called, our call ended rather happily even though in the back on my mind I was terrified for Charlie and the potential results of his biopsy.

Edward made Charlie explain what the freckles/moles looked like. They sounded suspicious, in Edward's opinion, but he told us-mostly me-not to worry until we got the results back.

On the outside I wasn't concerned, but the daughter in me still worried, I just had to do so inwardly.

It was a week later that we'd heard from Charlie, and he'd received the all clear. The tumor was a machine error I think, or technician error. There was never a tumor, or cancer. He was perfectly fine, more so now than he had been when he went in for his medical exam.

The relief hit me like a Mack truck. I'd been so wound up about Charlie, I'd been a mess. Edward had noticed, but he was a smart enough man not to bring it up. Both he and the Cullen's let me stew until I heard back from Charlie and could finally breathe easy. Fortunately enough, this acted like a real wake up call for him, and he was more focused on his health than ever before, eating fresh food, and even grabbing salads from the diner rather than a burger with the works.

* * *

 **So, Charlie isn't the bad guy. But Renee is a bitch!**

 **What'd you think's in store for these crazy kids next?**

 **Also, Outtakes are in the works! I've some ideas, and Edward's talking to me, so we'll be hearing from him in the not too distant future.**

 **NicNyx.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Shout out to my favourite Beta, EdwardsFirstKiss, you're the best. Thanks so much for fitting this little ditty into your manic schedule.**

* * *

I woke up to something tickling my nose. I tried batting it away, but that only offered temporary relief before it picked up again. As soon as I heard snickering my eyes shot open. Edward was lying on his side, his head resting against his elbow as he smiled down at me.

"Dick head." I sassed, rolling over and tugging the thick duvet over me in the process. I felt something small moving against my back, but it stopped as soon as the covers settled so I knew it wasn't Edward.

"Well good morning sunshine to you too, Baby."

I felt movement against my back again, and given the size and warmth, I assumed it was Edward.

"I will punch you if you start tickling my back."

"Come on, Baby, please wake up?" Edward cooed in the most adorable voice I'd ever heard. But I still wasn't ready to wake up. High in the sky the sun may have been, but given it rose at fiveat five-thirty it was pretty much always high in the sky.

With a deep sigh, I rolled back over to face Edward. It really wasn't his fault I hadn't slept wellslept well last night; I'd been hot and cold all night and couldn't seem to get comfortable. I ended up cranking up the AC and wrapping myself up in the covers.

Edward hadn't been here because he'd been called in to work, which also probably made sleep difficult for me. I'd been spoiled sleeping in his arms and having to sleep without him sucked and nearlyand nearly impossible.

"Fine, I'm up. What's up?" I stretched, raising my arms above my head as I tried to work out the kinks from sleeping in a duck down burrito.

Edward started running his knuckles across my cheek, as he looked into my eyes. The jade of his eyes was so kind and sincere. He really was the most beautiful man I'd ever been fortunate enough to meet, and he loved me; truly and deeply, just as I did him. He hadn't even met my father, and the two of them got along like a house on fire. Edward even braved explaining FaceTime and Messages to Charlie to use on his Mac.

He offered me a crooked smirk before leaning down and pecking me on the lips.

"As sweet as that was. I know you didn't just wake me up to kiss me."

"You're right." Edward said, leaning back onto his elbow as he looked at me. "I have a surprise for you."

"Whatever it is take it back, Edward. You really don't have to buy me things. I know how much you love me; you don't need trinkets to show me."

Edward shook his head. "You're impossible, but it's not something I can take back."

"Then give it to your sister or Esme—Rose even." He gave me the most exasperated look I'd ever seen on his face, before rolling away from me and reaching over the bed. I heard something unlatch, and his low murmurs, though I couldn't make out what he was saying.

"It's not something I can take back Bella." Edward said, as he pulled himself up to his knees, still leaning over the side of the bed, his back toward me.

"What'd you do, Edward?"

"It's nothing bad, I promise." He said as he rolled over to face me again, in his hands the fattest puppy I'd ever seen.

I couldn't help the smile that lit up my face as I sat up reaching for the chubby puppy and pulling him into my lap. He looked like a staffy, his short haired, shiny coat thecoat the most beautiful sandy-tan color I'd ever come across.

"Naw, can we keep him?"

Edward actually shook his head laughing at me as I snuggled the puppy. Like babies, I swear to you, puppies also have a puppy smell, like a baby smell. I can't describe it, but I promise you they do.

"Oh now you want your present."

"Don't get sassy with me. How was I supposed to know you were getting a puppy?"

"You didn't givedidn't give me a chance, as soon as I said I had something for you, you went 'I am woman' on me." Edward pointed out, turning to face me as he scratched the puppy behind his ears.

I glared at him, but couldn't putcouldn't put too much malice behind it. He had bought me a puppy.

"Besides, she's not just yours, she's ours."

"She?" I asked, picking up the puppy lookingpuppy looking at her underside. Shit, I'd been trying to think of boy names the whole time. Well, Sam was out of the question.

" _She,_ " Edward said, "Is _ours_."

"Okay." I answered with a shrug, trying to figure out why he was so serious all of a sudden.

"Just like that? I come home with a puppy and just like that you're okay with it?"

I looked at him confusedly as the puppy licked the back of my hand.

"I don't know what you want me to say? Thank you?"

Looking back at Edward I could see that there was something that he wanted to say, but for whatever reason, he was nervous.

"What are you nervous about?"

I didn't fight Edward as he pulled the puppy from my arms and settled her in his lap. I watched as he played with her ears, clearly thinking something through. I reached out to him, grabbing his free hand in mine and squeezing.

"You still make me nervous." He offered, meeting me dead in the eye. "This, you and me, it just feels way too easy."

I couldn't help but bark out a laugh. I had to bite it back as quickly as it left me, "I'm sorry." I offered sincerely, noticing the flash of anger on his face, "don't look at me like that. I'm relieved. I don't know what you're thinking and you're always in your head, Edward. This is easy because it's right, there's no other reason. You told me that you believed that things happen for a reason, right? If it's meant to be, it will be. We," I clutched his hand, holding it against my heart, "we're meant to be."

I was shocked when Edward moved the puppy, gently placing her back down into her crate and latching it. He gripped my hands in return, rolling over me as he just hovered over me, looking me dead in the eye again. I thought I'd seen every emotion on his face, but this one, I'd never seen before.

"Just when I think I have you figured out, B, you say something and just floor me." He closed the distance between our faces before kissing me chastely. It was sweet, the kind of kiss that wouldn't turn away a pastor, or the most prudish Christian woman.

"You're perfect; you just fit so well, I hate imagining how my life was before you. The puppy, whatever we call her, in my head you were going to make a big deal out of it. She'd be like our daughter. Our baby, I guess that's why I wasn't sure how you'd respond."

"I want a life with you Edward, if you don't know that by now, I mustn't be doing a good enough job of showing you how I feel." I raised my hips a little, a promise of sorts. If Edward needed more showing, I felt more than willing enough to do that very thing.

Edward groaned, dropped his head down as he rested more of his weight onto me. I had to bite back a moan as he pressed down in just the right way to have tingles shooting up my spine... and then he was gone.

"The baby's still in the room." His eyes were wide as he scrambled off me, reaching over the side of the bed. I heard him unlatch her crate again as the puppy once again joined us on the bed.

"You're taking your new found fatherhood seriously."

"Call it practice." He answered, rolling the puppy on her back as he held her down gently.

I'd seen something similar done on TV once. I think it was to test a puppy's temperament. She just lay on her back, making a noise that was awas a cross between a whine and a growl as she just stared up at Edward. She barely wriggled, or fought against Edward's hold, though I don't think she enjoyed being on her back.

"Is he being mean, Bubbie?" I cooed at the puppy, knocking away Edward's hand as I pulled her into my lap.

"I wasn't hurting her." Edward defended, flopping down next to me on his stomach, his feet dangling off the bed as he looked at the puppy and then at me.

"We should call her Bella Junior." I couldn't help but bark out a laugh at Edward as I shook my head.

"No. _Hell no_." I said, watching Edward's face sober. All the excitement of his stupid idea fading. "And no, we will not name our first human daughter Bella, or Izzy, or Isabella or any variation thereof."

I could see that Edward wanted to say something, but he wisely chose not to. "What about Sandy?"

I shook my head. "Makes me think of Annie."

"Annie?"

"The sun'll come out tomorrow...bet your bottom dollar that tomorrow, there'll be sun. Orphan, red head."

"That's a movie, right?" I nodded my head in response, and I watched as it clicked.

"Yeah, definitely not. Roxy?"

"Makes me think of that blonde woman from the UK soap your Mom and Alice watch. East side? East lane? Easter? So, no."

Edward looked at me a little confused, but I could tell when it clicked again. "EastEnders, and I completely forgot about her."

"Molly?" I offered.

Edward didn't even need say no. The screwed up, I just ate a lemon expression, said enough. "Your turn." I offered, before he could say anything else.

"Tilly?" I shook my head furiously.

"How old is she?"

"Don't be rude, I have an Aunty Tilly."

"You do and she's lovely, she's also a recent pensioner. Next idea." Edward shook his head, but tried to think of another name.

"Um, Topaz?" He said with poorly veiled excitement when the name came to him. I couldn't help but notice the way puppy looked up at him. I guess we have a winner. I smiled at Edward before he reached over and scratched behindscratched behind her ears. "That's that, then. Your name from now on is Topaz."

"We have a fur baby." I said to Edward as I noticed Topaz drifting off. Edward did too and reached over to settle her in her crate. He didn't latch it this time.

"We do."

Edward and I were tossing around ideas for breakfast when Emmett burst through my bedroom door. I hadn't even heard him come through the front door, so looking up to see him holding one hand over his eyes as he ate a cream donut topless was certainly a sight to behold.

"Dude, where is your shirt?" Edward asked quickly. "And you can uncover your eyes, we're dressed."

"Oh poo." Emmett said as he uncovered his eyes, shoving the remaining donutremaining donut into his mouth. He had enough courtesy to wipe his hands on his shorts before climbing into bed with us. "Hi."

"Uh, hi?" I looked at Edward, not sure what his brother was playing at.

"Bro, what the actual fuck are you doing?"

Emmett looked at Edward, then to me, before putting his hand on my belly and smiling toward his brother.

"You sly dog you, you and baby B are having a baby."

I slapped Emmett's hand away so quickly after that, recoiling as I sat up against the headboard.

"Asswipe, you totally just called me fat."

"Not fat, B." Emmett's said, almost condescending. "Pregnant. With child. Up the duff. You have a bun in the oven. Knocked—,"

My first reaction, for reasons not entirely clear to me, was to punch Emmett. I either caught him off balance, or I packed more of a wallop than I was aware as Emmett went sailing backwards off the bed.

Emmett's boisterous laughter was proof enough for me that I hadn't hurt him, and Edward was laughing so hard he was practically wheezing, his face bright red as he wiped tears from his eyes.

When the brothers managed to settle themselves somewhat, Emmett sat up, looking up toward me from the end of the bed. "Jesus B, you're spending way too much time with Rosie."

"Or perhaps not enough." I shot back with a glare. "I'm also not pregnant, fuckface."

Emmett sobered quickly. "Are you sure? Because Alice was visited by Māma last night and she told her that Edward and you wereyou were welcoming a new edition to the family."

"Even in death she loves to pull my leg!" Edward said exasperated. "We're not having a baby, we got a puppy."

Emmett's eyes lit up like something out of a comic book when he heard our baby, was a fur baby.

"Gimme, gimme." I wasn't sure if I should laugh or scald Emmett for behaving like a needy child.

"No. She's sleeping." I smiled at Edward for being able to speak to his brother like an adult.

"I just want to look at her."

"You understand how creepy that sounds, right?" Emmett shrugged in response as I looked at Edward who seemed to be thinking the same thing— Emmett's a few fries short of a happy meal.

"No. Now give up, she's not going anywhere. Now is that all you came up here to say?" Edward said, levelling his brother with a glare.

"You're mean." His petulance didn't sway his brother, and Emmett's pout left his face as he stood up and sat downsat down on the end of the bed. His weight making the mattress dip, I sat up on my knees as I hugged a pillow to my chest, distinctly checking to see if my tank had a shelf-bra. It did, but the pillow was soft and warm so I held it to me.

"You're right, although I was coming up here to say that I'd love your baby even if it was different. Māma told Ally something about your baby being different—no kidding. So there was that, I'm cool with a doggie-baby. I was coming up to see if you guys wanted breakfast. Mum and Dad turned up with creamwith cream donuts."

As much as I was definitely up for breakfast, there was a more pressing question. "Why the hell are you here then?" I shot a glance at the bedside clock. "Didn't you start work an hour ago?"

"Well yeah, normally, but Rosie has an appointment today to see the doctor, so I have the morning off. Mum found out somehow and she wanted to come. She said she'd bring breakfast too, even though Rosie can't have any beforehand, but she thought it was a sweet gesture so here we are."

Rosalie and sweet didn't really sound right to me, but maybe that was her pregnancy.

"How is Rose?"

"I don't really know what people mean when they say pregnancy makes women glow, but she does seem happy and she's all up on me all the time lately, it's hard to keep up."

I shook my head as I looked up at Edward, the expression on his face was something else; it was a cross between disgust and fear.

"Bro, she's like a sister to me." Edward all but whined, as he threw the covers off and moved to get dressed for breakfast. I'd given Edward a whole drawer soon after we became a couplea couple, so he always had clothes here.

I didn't realizedidn't realize Edward was only wearing a pair of boxer briefs until Emmett started giving him shit for the whiteness of his legs.

"Bro," Edward, said shaking his head, "yours are just as bad. Now, fuck off so we can get dressed and we'll be down soon."

I couldn't help but notice the way Emmett tried to checkout his legs as he was leaving. The glimpse I saw proved that yes, his legs were in fact pasty white, worse I think than Edward's.

When Emmett finally left, I followed suit and quickly pulled out a pair of cut-offs and my flip-flops. Edward grabbed Topaz's carrier, for which I was grateful. Even though we were only planning to be downstairs, the idea of leaving her in the room alone made me antsy.

"So am I finally going to get to try the infamous cream donuts you guys rave about? Because I think I've missed out every time someone has bought them."

Edward looked at me guiltily as we continued to climb down the stairs. "Okay, this time, I promise I will forfeit my own if I have to."

"That's all I ask."

By the time we reached the kitchen, the breakfast buffet hadbuffet had been cleaned up. The warmers were just coming out of the sanitizer as Alice shuffled around quickly putting everything away while Esme was laying everything out on the island counter top. Emmett was watching Rosalie as she made coffees for everyone. She couldn't drink one herself, but she enjoyed making them so she could at least enjoy the aroma. She normally made herself a decaf version, but she didn't much care for it. It didn't have the placebo effect she'd hoped for.

"Morena!" Edward greeted, putting Topaz down quickly as he went to help Esme.

"Morning Son, Baby. You two look well rested." I shrugged and waved while Edward rubbed at the back of his neck. Something she said made him feel awkward, so I just decided to leave it alone.

"Right, well, Em said there were cream donuts, and baby B still has yet to taste their awesomeness."

"Well, let's change that then. She's been here far too long to haveto have not tried them. Have you boys been depriving her?" The way Esme levelled both of her sons with accusing stares; I actually had to cover my laugh at their expense.

"I didn't know, Jesus. It was in the fridge with no name on it." Emmett said quickly, jumping to his own defense.

"It was in _her_ fridge, she shouldn't have _needed_ to have a name on it."

I tapped my nose with my index finger before pointing to Edward. 'Exactly', I told him.

Esme shuffled over to Emmett, slapping him across the back of the head. "You can't just help yourself to other people's food, Son."

"But it's Bella!" I slapped my forehead at his defense. "She's like family, therefore itsits okay."

The way he spoke as if it was the most obvious thing in the word had me shaking my head once again at his logic.

"How long had Bella been here when he did it the first time?" Esme looked at Emmett, and when he didn't answer, she looked to Edward.

"Three weeks, tops." Esme slapped Emmett again.

"Shit, Ma, stop, please? I'm sorry, okay. I won't do it again, and I won't help myself to Bella's food."

"Damn right you won't." Rosalie chimed in. She'd finished making everyone's coffees and seemed to be thoroughly enjoying the mockery being made of her husband.

"Babe, you too?"

"We're having a baby, Emmett. How are we supposed to make sure it grows up doing the right things whenthings when you don't?"

Emmett didn't respond straight away, but he slapped his knee when an answer came to him about five minutes later.

"It's do as I say, not as I do. Clearly that's the kind of parenting I'll employ."

"The hell you will. You will walk the straight and narrow and so will I, and our children will follow behind us. That's what you meant to say, right?"

I wondered often how thick Emmett could be. It's not that he was dumb, because he was actually quite intelligent he just often seemed to forget things, or he lacked a verbal filter and would say the first thing that cropped into his mind, and it was rarely ever any good.

"So, breakfast?" Esme offered, breaking the tension in the room. Emmett was at Rose's side as he tried to soothe her worries, and the rest of us decidedus decided to dig straight in to our breakfast.

He'd eat when he was ready, well, when Rose let him.

We ignored Emmett and left him to his sulking as Esme started passing out donuts on serviettes. She slid two in front of Edward and watched as he slid both in front of me.

No one said or did anything other than watch me as I eyed the cream filled donuts, each with a dollop of jelly, or jam as they kept reminding me.

"I feel like a circus sideshow the way you're all looking at me." I paused, not quite able to reach for the sweet treat with them looking at me. Emmett was significantly worse; the salivating look in his eyes had me worried. How tight was Rosalie's leash?

"Get over it and eat, Baby, poor Edward looks like he may cry." At Esme's comment I turned to look at Edward and sure enough, he looked on the verge of tears as he side-eyed the two donuts in front of me.

I slid the second one back in front of Edward. He was so pleased; he reached over and smacked a kiss on me so hot, I had to catch my breath. Immediately after that he was biting into his donut and letting out a gloriously sexy moan not safe for work, and certainly not safe for present company. I had to cross my legs and bite into my own donut to stop from saying or doing something equally inappropriate.

Then of course I was letting out an inappropriate moan all on my own and I think I finally understood why everyone loved the donuts so much. They were just that good! There wasn't anything about them that was even remotely healthy for me, well, nothing I could justify at least. I seriouslyI seriously wished I hadn't given Edward the other donut because fourbecause four inches of sugar and fat just wasn't enough.

"My life is complete." I moaned, licking the powdered sugar from my fingers.

"Me and a fur baby weren't quite enough, B?" I laughed at the petulance in Edward's tone; the adorable pout adorning his face was only made cuter by the powdered sugar on his chin.

I reached over, wiping the sugar off with my thumb and sucking it off, our eyes making contact the whole time.

"Back up a moment." Esme said, clicking her fingers between our gaze, making us turn our attention back to her. "Am I getting another grand baby?"

"Her name is Topaz, Ma. Did you not see me bring her in, in the carrier?"

Esme's eyes narrowed as she stared at carrier. "If there is a child in that carrier you had better run really fast boy."

There was a twitch in Esme's eyes that scared me as she regarded Edward.

"Ma, wait. No." Emmett said jumping to Edward's defense. "Fur-baby. Fur-baby. Edward won't let me play with her either."

"A hairy baby? Are you stupid boy? That still doesn't mean they can cart it around in a dog crate." I was shocked to see Esme practically vaulting over the counter as she made a grab for the dog carrier.

Edward fortunately enough was quicker and closer as he quickly reached down, unlatched the door and pulled out a sleeping Topaz. The movement made her stir, but as Edward placed her in the valley of his lap, on her back, she was drifting again.

"Fur-baby, Ma. Topaz is our dog."

Esme sighed in relief, but that serenity on her face was short lived, as she turned around and smacked Edward upside the head.

"Ma!" Edward's high pitched cry woke the puppy, and she definitely was not expecting to see so many eyes on her as she sat up quickly cowering into Edward. I assumed dogs loved people, always, but this was new and had my heart breaking for my overwhelmed little pup.

I reached over, pulling the scared puppy from Edward's lap into my arms as I continued to watch Esme wailing on Edward, which is what Carlisle walked in on.

"Well this is an unusual sight." Carlisle chuckled, pouring himself a cup of coffee from the pot. "Normally it's Emmett on the end of your fists, Dear, not Edward."

"Yeah well, he's next." She grunted, smacking Edward once more before stalking toward Emmett. I could see that Emmett wanted to run, but Carlisle was blocking the door, and the only person he could hide behind was Rose, whose wrath was far more terrifying than Esme's.

"What'd they do this time?" Carlisle observed casually, grabbing one of donuts and biting into it. He seemed better accustomed to the taste because he didn't let out a porn star worthy moan.

"They made me think Edward and Bella had a hairy baby and they were carrying it around in a dog carrier."

Carlisle turned a puzzled gaze to Edward, then Emmett.

"Now I know Emmett may have had a few too many knocks to the head growing up, but Edward, son, really?"

Emmett didn't even have time to complain about his father's implication. He was preoccupied, trying to placate his mother.

"We said we had a fur baby, Dad."

Carlisle then noticed the puppy in my arms, trying to lick at my face.

"Oh, fur baby, I get it. Yeah, hon, fur baby does not make me think hairy baby. That's all on you."

Esme was mid-swing when she stopped, choosing instead to turn her wrath on her husband.

"Don't glare at me, Love. I know you've got babies on the brain, but you cannot convince me that you, my beautiful, intelligent wife, assumed that a fur baby meant a hairy child."

There was nothing patronizing about his tone, or even in the way he looked at Esme. There was only love and understanding.

"Fine." Esme admitted, "I knew about the puppy. Alice told me, but I just felt like smacking them around. Gotta keep the fear of God in them somehow."

"Ma!" Both Emmett and Edward whined, the petulance being drowned out by Rosalie's barking laughter.

"Oh my god." She huffed, trying to steal a breath through her tears. "I want to be you when I grow up, Mama E."

Esme walked over to Rosalie, placing her hand gently on her stomach. "I will teach you all I know, don't you worry."

Oh shit. The sinister smile that adorned both women's faces had me worried. Emmett too, clearly as I watched him gnaw on his lip as he watched the two most important women in his life start whispering back and forth.

"If I've told you once, I've told you a hundred times. You kids are never too old for me to sort out."

Both boys just looked down sheepishly, little boys reborn as their mother looked down upon them.

I wanted to be Esme too.

"Anyway." Carlisle said drawing the attention of everyone in the room back to him. "I hear there's a sonogram appointment today...?" He turned his hopeful gaze to Rosalie.

"You too?" Emmett whined.

"It's my first Grand Baby too." Carlisle defended sheepishly.

I couldn't help but smile at the antics of this family, my family.

Edward must have seen the smile on my face as he tucked me into his side, kissing the crown of my head.

"Love you." I whispered, and his reply immediatelyreply immediately followed as he heldhe held me to him.

Yeah, I knew how lucky I was to not only to have a man like Edward, but to be welcomed so wholly into a wonderful family as this is something I prayed every man or woman would find at some point.

Though in reality it could be a ways down the track, I couldn't wait until I was a Cullen.

A phone blaring at two in the morning wasn't uncommon, least of all when Edward stayed the night. It was strange when it was my phone.

Reaching my hand out from the confines of the covers, I had to fight a little to pull my arm free from Edward's embrace, but with some struggle I broke free and managed to get my phone just before it rang out.

"Hello?" Even to my own ears I could hear how tired I was.

"Bells, glad I caught you." Charlie said gruffly through the phone. "Phil offered to call, but I figured you'd probably take it better from me."

"Dad it's really early. Take what?" I sad through a yawn.

"Well, there's been an accident."

"Okay." I responded.

Sleep addled and already on a downward spiral, I had trouble understanding the weight of Charlie's words.

"Bella, I know there's a time difference and all, but I need you to hear me."

"I'm listening." I heard Charlie mumble something unintelligible, but as tired as I was, I was having trouble making heads or tails of what he was tellingwas telling me.

I felt Edward stirring beside me, and after a quick peek over my shoulder, I could see he was more awake than me. I put my phone on speaker so Edward could hear too and hopefully carry more of the conversation so I wouldn't have to.

"Hey Charlie, you're on speaker." Edward greeted, his voice not laden down in the least with sleep. Maybe being a doctor, made waking up easy.

"Good, I'm glad you're there too Edward." Charlie said shocking me. He was happy I was sleeping with Edward? "There's been an accident. Renee was broad sided when she was driving home from the mall, Bella. She's critical but stable. Phil said it looked pretty bad."

It took a few minutes for Charlie's words to sink in. In that time Edward was still carrying on a conversation with Charlie, but I was having a lot of trouble comprehending.

Renee.

Accident.

Critical.

Charlie.

"We need to book flights. Edward we need to book flights." I said, breaking from my trance to look at Edward. A fair amount of time had passed, clearly, as I had no response from Charlie.

They'd already ended the call.

"Bella, come here." Edward all but cooed, opening his arms and pulling me into them before I could even respond. There was just something innately soothing about his embrace. The way he could envelopcould envelop me in his arms, the contraction of his muscles against my skin as he held me to him.

I didn't realize I was crying until he told me not to.

I didn't notice I was moaning and whining until he rocked us both back and forth telling me everything was going to be fine, Renee was going to be fine.

I didn't realize I didn't hate my mom until I thought about losing her forever.

It really was too early in the morning for such a heavy topic, and for the first time intime in my life, sleep took me before the fear of losing Renee.

Flying back to Washington was always somewhere in my future, but I hadn't expected it to be quite this soon. It was strange, but if it wasn't. Edward had thankfully lookedthankfully looked into visas and how he could travel to the States. Not that he'd told me that until he was booking flights for us. He promised Air New Zealand was the way to go, I didn't really care, but the family had an Airpoints membership, they figured they may as well use them.

Then again, even if they hadn't, I don't think they'd have told me. I think they just favored Air New Zealand.

Our flight was quiet. I spent the whole time worrying, tucked as closely into Edward's side as our seats allowed.

I was pretty much oblivious through customs, and LAX, but Edward soldiered on enough for the both of us. The final two hour stretch flew by, and before I'd even realized it, I was walking into my father's arms.

We weren't the hugging type of family, and he wasn't entirely prepared for my hug, but after a moment his arms we wrapped around me as he squeezed me tight. The Cullen's had turned me into a hugger.

"It's good to see you, Baby Girl." I nodded my head and decided against picking on the gruffness I could hear in his voice.

"You too, Dad." I gave him one more squeeze before stepping back and holding a hand out to Edward. "I'd also like to formally introduce you to Edward."

Charlie didn't even hesitate as he held his hand out to Edward and Edward, being Edward pulled Charlie into a bit of a man hug, back pat and all.

"It's good to meet you, Son." I was surprised to hear Charlie say.

"You too, Charlie."

"Come now, you two." Charlie said quickly, grabbing our luggage trolley. "Let's get you home, so you can rest and first thing in the morning we'll go see your mother."

I wanted to argue, I really did, but I really didn't think I could actually deal with her right now. I didn't want my mother dead or even injured. Now that I was here and not a seventeen-hour flight away from her, I wasn't actually ready to see her.

"Is she stable?" I asked, wanting to ease my guilt over not wanting to see.

"Yeah, just like I told you she would be." He thought he was being smart, but really, he was just giving me more reason to avoid seeing her.

Edward seemed to understand what my intent had been as he grabbed my hand and tucked me back into his side. I felt him kiss my head, and I took a moment to enjoy the normalness of his gesture.

I dosed off as soon as I was snuggled into the backseat with Edward. If Charlie had an issue with it, or felt uncomfortable at all, he didn't say anything.

I startled awake as Edward carried me toward my bedroom. Charlie hadn't changed anything in my childhood bedroom. Not that my sleepy, half aware gaze could see at least.

When he realized I'd awakened, he set me on my feet. He kept his hands on my waist as he gazed down at me. He looked tired too, but unlike me, I figured he'd been awake the whole time.

"Morning, Sleeping Beauty." I smiled, leaning into him to wrap my arms around his waist.

"Sorry I fell asleep on you."

"All good, Baby." He started, tucking some hair behind my ear. "I was able to catch up with Charlie, face to face. He's very taciturn isn't he?"

I nodded my head. "Imagine growing up with him."

"Don't need to, but it's got to have been better than your mother." I barked a laugh, though it was probably too soon to actually start joking about my mother.

Edward must have heard the hollowness in my laugh as he looked down at me with concern in his eyes. "Humour won't change the situation, Bella."

I nodded my head, closing my eyes as I hugged myself closer to him.

I sighed, glancing around Edward, to stare at the alarm clock. "It's still last night."

I felt the muscles in Edward's chest contract as I assumed he turned around to look. "We were hopping on a plane back home the last time we saw that time on the clock."

"No wonder I'm exhausted." I yawned. "Let's go to bed."

It was a tight squeeze on my twin bed, but we were both so tired, we made it work. Wrapped around Edward with my head on his chest, and our legs intertwined we both drifted off, surrendering to sleep.

Tomorrow, I'd deal with Renee.

Jet lag is a bitch! I don't know how many time zones there are between New Zealand and Washington. Too many, if I had to guess. I didn't have the luxury of sleeping the whole day away like I did last time. Though the twelve hours of sleep I did have, curled around Edward madeEdward made me feel a little better. The smell of blueberry muffins and bacon wafting up the stairs, were doing wonders to win me over too.

"Hey Dad." I greeted as I entered the kitchen, almost turning on my heel and heading back upstairs as I caught a glimpse of my father's wondering hand. "Whoa, little eyes, people. Little eyes!"

I don't think I've ever seen Charlie move so fast as he cleared the room in about a second, his face bright red. Sue, his girlfriend didn't look much better eitherbetter either as her face flamed.

"You're hardly the bearer of little eyes, Bella." Charlie grouched out. Trying to cover his own embarrassment I guessed.

"Dude, not the point. I cannot un-see that wandering hand of yours." I directed at my father. "It's nice to see you again, Sue."

Through the corner of my eye I caught a glimpse of Charlie shaking his head at me.

"It's good to see you too, Bella. How did you sleep?" She asked genuinely before turning around and tending to the bacon she was cooking. "Oh, just saved it."

Before I could answer, familiar hands were wrapping around my waist pulling me into a solid chest. "Good morning, B." was whispered against my ear as Edward kissed my forehead.

"'Morning." I snuggled back intoback into Edward, lacing my fingers through his as he continued to hold me to him.

Edward was never clingier than when he was tired, and the way he was content let me know he wasn't quite ready to wake up.

"Sorry, Sue." I offered, realizing I'd completed ignored her question. "I slept great, thanks."

"I'm actually surprised you both squeezed onto your bed." She sounded genuinely curious, and I noticed Charlie decided to busy himself with making coffee.

"By the time I was horizontal I was as good as dead to the world." I felt Edward's weight bare down a little heavier as his breath warmed my cheek. "Yeah, and he's still waking up."

Sue had an adoring look on her face as she watched us; even Charlie seemed to be fighting a grin.

"Is that boy incapable of standing on his own two feet?" Charlie joked, probably wanting to get a rise out of Edward. I'd heard bits and pieces of their conversations on the drive home—definitely not enough to contribute—they had a really great relationship and their banter was often hilarious.

Charlie however often talked to Edward when he had all his faculties about him, and in his current state of counting sheep, it'd probably be a while until he got Edward's full attention.

"He's just tired. He gets like this when he hasn't had enough sleep. You should see him when he's been on a long shift, he's like a toddler, and he'll cling to me or Esme, or his sister and just doze."

"I think that might be the most adorable thing I've seen a grown man do." Sue said sweetly as she started dishing up the bacon onto a serving tray.

Charlie was at her side quickly, helping her carry the trays over to the table. I hadn't even noticed he'd finally upgraded his table. What once was an old laminate table with cracking vinyl chairs, was now a solid, cottage style wooden table, topped with a half inch thick glass top with matching chairs.

I guided Edward to the table, helping him sit. I pushed my chair close to his before sliding into my seat next to him. He was leaning toward me as soon as I was seated, his arm wrapping around the back of my chair.

I dished out both Edward'sboth Edward's and my plates; stockpiling his with bacon while I loaded mine up with fruit. I split a muffin, knowing I couldn't eat a whole one and gave myself a heaping serving of eggs, because I loved Sue's eggs.

"Dad, do you have any tea bags?" I asked, knowing Edward would rather have tea than coffee. It was probably going to help get some lucidity in him too.

"Yeah, in the cupboard over the fridge. Lady Earl or something. Ed told me to try it once, I don't really care for it, so there's plenty there." I quickly got up, the kettle was still warm and there was enough water towater to fill a mug.

Charlie's, Lady Earl, was actually Lady Grey, which was Rose's favorite—not Edward's, but he'd still drink it. I added a dash of milk and a spoon of sugar before joining everyone at the breakfast table.

Edward smiled at me as I gave him his tea and was quick to start sipping itsipping it. "Perfect." He said with a smile. "Thank you."

"You two are freakishly in tune with one another." Charlie said kindly breaking up the sounds of our breakfast.

I looked at Edward, who was chewing on a piece of bacon. He looked just as confused as I felt. He chewed quickly before swallowing.

"How do you mean?"

Charlie placed his cutlery on his plate before sitting back into his chair and crossing his arms over his chest.

"I've never seen you like this before." Charlie started. "The open affection, the way you move when he moves, and how you just know what he wants and needs. You two act like you've been together for years."

I looked at Edward who just shrugged, taking a sip from his tea. He offered me a sip, but I shook my head, he poured me a cup of coffee instead—black, no sugar.

"That's my point exactly." Charlie said as I took a sip from my coffee.

"What?" I said defensively, making Sue crack up laughing.

"Oh hush, Charlie." Sue soothed, patting his bicep. "He doesn't mean it in a negative way. It's just remarkable to see. You weren't like this with Jake, I mean, even when you were a little girl you weren't one for hugs and sweet kisses. You two are all hugs and kisses and sweet looks all the time."

"She's my life. It's as simple as that." Edward said simply, and just like that, the topic was dropped. Though, I wished we'd have kept talking about my love for Edward, because it gave way to the most unwelcome topic; Renee.

I hated hospitals. Well, that's not entirely true. I hated that I felt the need to be here to see my mother. She hadn't exactly been kind the last time I had seen her.

Why was she hereshe here, anyway? She and Phil had a home in Phoenix!

Charlie didn't check in at the nurse's station, he headed straight for Renee's room.

"Dad, what should we expect?" I asked when I saw him come to a stop outside her room.

"Ugh." He started, "Well when I was here yesterday she was pretty banged up. She has bruises and grazes, but they're all superficial. Her right leg was crushed in the accident; she broke her wrist and did something to her collarbone too."

"Any internal injuries?" Edward asked in doctor mode.

"They mentioned something about bruising of her ribs if that counts as internal. Everything else was fine though."

I was a tad confused though. "Why do you know all this? Did the doctors tell you, or did Phil? Where is he anyway?"

"The doctors filled me in, and then I filled Phil in. I was here first, his flight was late. I would have preferred to pick him up from the airport, but he told me to be here for Renee."

I clung to Edward, who'd also come to a stop. He looked down at me worriedly, and I was trying my best to hold myself together. He looked away from me, probably at Charlie before wrapping both his arms around me, hugging me to him.

He didn't say anything, he didn't need to.

I wasn't ready to see her. I couldn't forget the way she had treated the Cullen's. She regarded them like they were less than nothing. She saw their tattoos and their comfortable dress and she judged them.

They were successful in their own right, which was a lot more than I could say for Renee who'd been unsatisfied in her modest life with Charlie, and left it for a life with larger purse strings.

I didn't dislike her for myself, I disliked her for Charlie and the Cullen's, the people closest to me that she'd hurt.

"You came a long way for her, Baby." Edward said quietly.

"But I hate her."

"No, Baby." Edward said, and tilted my face up so I was looking up at him. "You may want to, but she's still your mother. You know you wanted to be here. You're just having trouble hating her when you know she's lying in a hospital bed."

"Stay out of my head, please—can't you just pretend to be insensitive, even for a minute?"

"You know I can't do that, Bella. I'm here for you, always, even if it's just to point out your mistakes."

I huffed a sigh. "You're a dick."

"And you're spending far too much time with Alice and Rose."

"Bite me." I sassed, unwrapping myself from his arms and heading to the ominous door through which I'd find my mother.

"Definitely too much time with Rose." Edward called from behind me as I walked to the door.

I reached the threshold, but I didn't crossdidn't cross it until I had Edward with me. Say what I will, but even he knew I needed him with me to get through this.

Charlie was sitting in the hard plastic chair pushed up against the wall, while Phil was sat right at Renee's side her hand clutched between both of his. He looked absolutely exhausted.

"Hey?" I said awkwardly at the door. Surveying for myself the damage done to her body in the accident. I could barely make out her alabaster skin beneath the violent shades of purple and blue mottling her skin.

My heart still managed to ache for the pain she was in, but at the same time I wondered if this was her karma. If I'd learned anything by living with the Cullen's it was that things happened for a reason. So there had to have been a reason for this accident, perhaps there was a lesson she needed to learn.

"I didn't think you'd come." Phil said quickly, looking up from Renee's bedside. "From what I've heard about your last visit with your mother, it would have come as no surprise if you had chosen not to show."

"I guess I'm a glutton for punishment."

Phil ignored my remark. "All the same, thank you for coming."

"So...what would you like me to do?"

Phil's shoulders shook as did his head. He didn't know either. Aren't you just supposed to know what to do in these types of situations? When Edward broke down after news of Uncle, I knew what to do. Kind of. I felt the express need to be there for him, but it felt different looking at Renee in a hospital bed.

I took another step forward only to step back shaking my head. I thought maybe if I was closer, I'd want to hold her hand, or hug her, but I didn't. I don't know if it made me a bad daughter, or maybe a daughter scorned or something, but there was nothing in me that was compelled to weep, or get angry over her.

Yes, I was upset that an idiot who should not have been behind the wheel drove into her car, more so that he walked away with superficial scratches.

But, I couldn't step any closer to her. I just couldn't.

"When she wakes up, tell her I visited. I—I didn't want anything bad to happen to her, but this doesn't change her actions. She can apologize to me, but it won't matter. It's not me she needs to apologize to, it's the Cullen's."

"She regrets her actions—" I held a hand up to stop him.

"It's not that I doubt you, Phil, but I don't need you to apologize for her. I'm here. I'm happy she's still alive, and I feelI feel badly that's she's been hurt. I just can't find it in me to cry at her bedside and beg for her life, or for a fast recovery. I love her, I have to, but I don't like her and I sure as hell don't respect her. When she's well, if she wants to make amends, tell her to _call_ me."

It was difficult to turn my back on Phil, because I knew everything he did was always with the best of intentions; he really was an outstanding human being. Seeing him hurting over Renee, actually hurt more than seeing Renee in the bed.

I thought the fear I'd felt when Charlie had broken the news to me was that my mother would die thinking I blamed her for ruining my life, but the truth of the matter, is that I feared I'd never get the truth from her. I'd never know why she deliberately set out to hurt my father and in the most underhandedly heartless of ways.

I walked to the door and was met by Edward who was quick to wrap me back up in his arms and guide me out of the room. I stopped at the threshold.

"I thought seeing her like that would fix me, so I could get over it, I was wrong. Text me when she wakes up. I-I might visit." Charlie didn't move to stop us and Phil was too caught up in Renee to make of an attempt of his own, so we just left.

It was a long ride back to Forks from Seattle, so a cab was out of the question. Charlie had my cell number, he'd be here a while but I sent him a quick message to text me before he left so we could get a ride back. He didn't respond, but I wasn't surprised. I knew he'd see it.

"How do you feel about having a look at my old stomping grounds?" I asked Edward as we stood outside the hospital, wrapped up once again in our coats, gloves and scarves. Winter had been cold in Auckland, but there was nothing like sleet and snow of Seattle to make me appreciate Auckland a little more. At least there we didn't have to worry about having chains on our tires, or digging our cars out of the driveway.

"Show me the way, Baby."

Everything fascinated Edward. In his head I guess he had a rather extraordinary view of America, the kind only presented through a Hollywood lens.

He'd never seen so many coffee shops in such a small space, he wasn't used to seeing so many people bustling about, and the sludgy, snow lined streets were brilliant to him. Even about a day after fresh powder where everything looked brown and dirty, it still lit his eyes up.

Watching the merriment and wonder in his eyes was awas a sight to see. He didn't caredidn't care to see the tourist areas, such as the space needle, he was more interested in what I had left behind. So we caught a cab to my old apartment complex, where I pointed out my apartment windows from the back seat. I showed him my school, and had it not been a private academy I would have toured the grounds with him, but alas, I couldn't. He seemed impressed none the less. He'd never seen such a 'flashy' school before.

I bought him coffee from my favorite coffee shop, stopped in at my favorite book store where the manager greeted me kindly and told me he'd been saving a copy of the new releases for when I came back. He'd kept nine books for me, all hard covers too! Before I could reachcould reach for my wallet Edward was handing over his credit card, and Mr. Modina was wrapping the books up for me.

We stopped for lunch at my favorite Deli, where I bought us each a turkey salad sandwich on rye with extra mustard and pickles and a Dr. Pepper. He wasn't a massive fan of Dr. Pepper, but he was a good sport and finished his drink.

He loved Pike Place market and was absolutely amazed by how lively everyone was. The variety of everything and the vibrancy. The only market he'd ever seen was the Sunday, Avondale markets, and there really was no comparison.

"Wow," Edward said as we climbed into a cab, heading back to the hospital. "What do you see back home?" I could hear the genuine curiosity in his tone.

I snuggled into his side. "That's easy. I see you, and our family, Topaz too. I see a beautiful country where people are free to express themselves and their cultural heritage. I see beaches everywhere, more trees than roads and people who care about the journey as well as the destination. I don't know, yeah, they're really different, but there's fulfilment that I get there, that I had never found here, not even when I was moldingwas molding young minds."

"Baby, it just feels like I've finally met the whole other side of you, finally."

"You were going to meet Seattle me at some point, there are maybe a couple more places I need to show you in Forks and down on the Res, but I'm pretty sure you know all you need to know."

Edward hugged me to him. "Will you take me there, maybe tomorrow?"

I didn't even have to think about it.

"I'll have to check with Charlie first and make sure he doesn't have any plans with us, but definitely." You'd think I told him we were going to Disney Land with the smile he gave me.

Considering I only planned on showing him the cliffs down on the res, my high school and the Lodge, I hoped I didn't burst his bubble.

Rolling over, my hand automatically sought Edward. When all I got were warm, but empty sheets I couldn't help but pout.

With a huff, I threw off the covers, grabbing Edward's sweater and pulling it on over my head. It was like wearing a sweater dress, it was that long, but it was snuggly and still smelled of him.

I was so used to Auckland weather; I hadn't thought to pack long pajama bottoms. It probably looked like I wasn't wearing any bottoms at all; I guess it was my turn to scandalize my father.

I couldn't smell muffins and bacon like yesterday, but I could hear everyone chatting downstairs.

"Morning guys." I greeted, as I rounded the corner, though I stopped short when I saw two new editions at the table. "Billy?" Before I could acknowledgecould acknowledge his companion my hand flew to my mouth as tears started falling down my cheeks.

He looked the same, really it hadn't even been a year since I'd seen him, but he also looked older. He used to be larger than life at six' four" with his long dark hair, deep almond eyes and perpetual grin'; to see him reduced to a wheel chair broke my heart. I couldn't move even though all I wanted to do was hug him. I needed to hug him! I crossed the room, and clearly in an act no one, other than maybe Edward expected my arms were around Billy as I cried into his shoulder.

He pat my back awkwardly and tried to soothe me the way a man only knew how, by shushing and rubbing my back. It wasn't doing much good though. He didn't know how to hug properly, like the Cullen's.

It was Edward's familiar hands that were pulling me from Billy, and into a much more comforting embrace. Tears continued to fall, but this time, I was being comforted and soothed.

"Hey now, Bells, don't scare an old man like that." Billy said rather gruffly as I hugged myself to Edward. "Crocodile tears like that might put me in an early grave."

I tried my best to smile politely, but it seemed odd to be making jokes when he was stuck in a wheelchair for the rest of his life. How does someone joke about that?

"I never thought you one for waterworks, Bells." Jacob added making the hair on the back of my neck stand up.

There wasn't anything remotely abhorrent or cruel in his tone, but just hearing his voice, and remembering the way he had hurt me made me furious.

"I never thought I'd haveI'd have to see you again, least of all in my father's home." I glared, and though I knew Edward swore if he ever met Jacob he'd kill him, he was doing his best to restrain me.

"Come on, Bells, how many times do I need to apologize?" He was trying to be charming, but it wasn't working. Who brings their wheelchair bound father as an excuse to rehash a faileda failed relationship?

"How many times did your dick fall into Shelly Cope?"

"I told you she didn't mean anything!"

I narrowed my eyes at him. "That's supposed to make me feel better! She was good enough to fuck, but not someone you marry. What'd that make me? A trophy wife to keep on a shelf and take out only when appearances deemed? Fuck you!"

My father's dining room is certainly not where I saw this confrontation taking place. Ever.

Before Jacob could say anything else, Charlie was intervening. "Jake, I think you should leave. I'll drop Billy off later."

I could see in Jacob's his eyes that he wasn't ready to leave just yet, but Charlie wasn't exactly giving him a choice. He was giving Jacob his marching orders.

"Yeah, whatever. Laters." He was gone in a huff, the front door slamming further proof of his petulance.

I was happy to see the back of him, and then I turned my glare on my father. "What happened to 'I'll kill him'?"

"He's been there for Billy, Bells; I can't fault him for that. I'll never forgive him for what he did to you though."

I crossed my arms over my chest and sulked. Jacob always was committed to his father.

Edward cleared his throat quietly, making me turn my head to look up at him. "Good morning, Baby." He said sweetly, his eyes bright as he smiled.

"It just got better." I lifted my face and puckered my lips as he gave me a sweet good morning kiss.

Our bubble burst when I heard another throat clearing from across the room, Charlie. Extracting myself frommyself from our little bubble, I felt bad remembering that Billy and Charlie had to witness a blowout with Jacob and my affection for Edward. His hair was wet, so he must have been fresh from the shower.

The latter wasn't really awkward for me, but given my ex-fiancé's father was sitting right there, well, I kind of felt bad. Charlie was already a team Edward fan, and he was slowly growing used to our affection.

"Sorry." I apologized to Billy.

"Don't be, Bells. It's good to see you happy again. Never took you for the type to fall in love with a foreigner, but he's a good man."

I was surprised at how much Billy's acceptance warmed me.

"Anyway, I figured we could go out for breakfast. Catch up a little." Billy offered. Edward gave me a little squeeze; he'd do whatever I chose to do. Seeing as I already had plans on taking Edward to the Lodge, our sole eatery in Forks, breakfast sounded like as good a time as any.

"Sounds great. Can we have maybe twenty minutes to sort ourselves out?" Billy made a shooing motion, so Edward and I quickly dashed upstairs. Edward was dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, but quickly dug into his bag for something warmer. Fifteen minutes later I was dressed in skinny jeans, a long sleeved thermal and a nice blue sweater. I laughed when I saw that Edward and I matched.

"Should I change?" I shook my head. He looked fine, and it didn't bother me, it might have given Alice a bit of a conniption fit, but she wasn't here.

I slid on the over the knee boots I'd worn to Uncle Paora's funeral, stashed some cash in my pockets and my phone and I was ready. Edward was wearing a pair of winter boots, which was probably for the best; he'd almost taken a tumble in his converse tennis shoes when we were leaving the airport.

Charlie laughed when he saw our matching sweaters, but didn't say anything. He just grabbed his coat, and Billy's before wheeling him outside. I handed Edward his coat before pulling mine on and following after Charlie.

With Sue now living here with Charlie, he'd finally gone out and bought a nice car for the both of them. They had a five door Ford SUV, which was safe and comfortable, unlike the cruiser which was far from comfortable if you were in the backseat.

The short ride to the lodge wasn't awkward, considering the blowout I'd just had. It felt goodfelt good to talk with Billy, and he seemed happyseemed happy too when I told him about life with the Cullen's and New Zealand.

I told him about what the family had taught me so far about the Māori culture, but when my explanations fell short Edward picked up and filled in the gaps. That's actually how breakfast played out too. Billy and Edward talking about their cultures, each equally fascinated by the other and their legends. Before long breakfast turned into brunch which turned into more coffee than desert. Sue even dropped by.

A lot of Charlie's friends stopped by too, excited to see me and hear about how life was going ingoing in New Zealand. I was surprised by how many people Charlie had shared the news with.

I also got sick of telling people that New Zealand wasn't full of Hobbits, and though I'm pretty sure the whole country could fit inside Texas more than twice, it wasn't that small. Explaining the nearly sixteen hour drive between Auckland and Christchurch, and also that Hobbiton, or Matamata, wasn't right next door, but two hours away astounded people.

Edward was good natured about it. He was used to it I guess though I don't know when he'd hadhe'd had to explain the geography of New Zealand to ignorant foreigners before.

"Ignorant foreigners." Edward joked, elbowing me in the side.

I couldn't help but blush. "I said that out loud."

"If it makes you feel better, you said it quietly."

"A little." But not much.

"Come here." Edward said as he pulled me into his side, his kissed the crown of my head. I twisted around so I could kiss him on the lips.

"Well isn't that sweet?" A bubblegum voice sneered.

My eyes dropped to the table as I fought the bubbling urge to lay someone out.

I'd been spending way too much time with the Cullen women; their propensity to smack a bitch was rubbing off.

"It _was_." I muttered under my breath before turning around to a girl who had made my life hell. "Jessica Stanley, I didn't realize you still lived here." _And worked here…still._

She still looked exactly the same, only twenty pounds. Her hair was still incredibly curly, bleached blonde this time, and her makeup was exactly the same as it had been in high school. Seems she still had it out for me too.

"It's Newton now, actually." She postured, twirling a curl around her finger trying to show off her ring. It was rather gaudy, tacky even. The stone _looked_ expensive; it was hard to say if that was true or not though. "Last I heard you were engaged to Jacob Black and living in Seattle."

"You're a little behind. We split about nine months ago. I'm only back on holiday, I live overseas now."

She looked really interested, though she couldn't mask the disdain in her eyes, or the way she looked Edward up and down. "Oh, where do you live now?"

"Auckland, New Zealand."

"Where is that?" She asked, and I wanted to face palm. Seriously, New Zealand isn't that far off the map. "Is it exotic, in like Asia somewhere?"

"Asia-Pacific, its South East of Australia." Edward answered for what must have been the fiftieth time today.

"So do you speak like Asian or something?" Double face palm.

Even Edward was fighting a laugh as he buried his face in my hair. I could feel his shoulders shaking. I elbowed him in the side, making him groan quietly.

"Uh, no. They speak English in New Zealand."

"It just sounds so exotic. They speak Austrian in Australia; I just figured they spoke a foreign language in New Zealand too." _OMG! Is she seriously that stupid?_

I could have told her they spoke Māori, Te Reo if I were to be more accurate, but I couldn't see that conversation going over well and just shrugged. I also did not plan on giving her a geography lesson. If Forks finest educators couldn't teach her then I had no chance.

"Uh, yeah. Sure, it was nice seeing you, but we were just leaving." I said looking at my table companions and imploring they play along.

"Right, we need to get back for Billy." Charlie said, throwing enough money on the table to cover the check.

"It was nice to see you again, Jessica." I said quickly, dragging Edward out behind me. I waved to Jessica behind me and was relieved when we were getting back into the car.

"You have some interesting friends, Bella." Billy joked, making me want to smack him.

"Shut up, we weren't friends. She was a jealous cow." Charlie laughed at my childish response, and even Edward was fighting a grin. "You too."

After a beat, something finally struck me. "Dad?"

"Yeah, Baby Girl?""

"Why the hell does half the town know I've moved to New Zealand." My question was met with silence though I did notice Billy turning to look at my dad.

I couldn't figure out if it was because he knew the answer or wantedor wanted to see my dad squirm. I was pretty sure I could see his ears turning red from where I was sitting.

"Is a father not allowed to talk about his daughter to his friends?"

I scoffed. "The townspeople probably know more about what's going on in my life than Reneethan Renee. That's not normal. Hell, they even knew who Edward was upon seeing him."

"He's always in the diner Bells, yapping on and on about his jet setter daughter and his new future son-in law." Billy added making Charlie punch him in the shoulder. "Hey, don't hit the cripple."

I had to laugh at Billy's good humor. Even recently wheelchair bound, he was still able to laugh at himself.

I turned to Edward who just smiled at me. "You've met my parents, Baby, I have enough family to fill this town and they all know everything going on in my life. I'm used to it."

"Not everyone can say they're related to half the island."

"Not half the island." He defended. "Just the top half, of the top half."

I poked my tongue out at him. That wasn't much less than the number of people who lived in Forks.

Jacob picked Billy up soon after we returned home. He didn't come inside this time, Charlie walked him out instead. Day ventures still took a toll on Billy. He wasn't back to one hundred percent, but according to Charlie he was well on his way.

Edward, Charlie and I spent the afternoon watching baseball on his flat screen. I only had a vague idea about what exactly it was that I was watching, but Edward had no clue.

So the afternoon was spent with Charlie educating Edward on the finer details of baseball.

Edward and I were aboutwere about to head up to bed when my phone rang. I'd half expected to have heard from the Cullen's before now, so I didn't think to check caller ID.

"I was wondering when you'd call. How's my baby?" I put my phone on speaker before flopping down onto the bed; Edward joined me, lying on his side so we could both fit comfortably.

 _"Bella?"_ Came the very confused, very American voice of my mother.

"Renee." I said shortly, noticing Edward tense up too. I coughed, clearing my throat. "How're you feeling?"

It seemed like the right thing to ask. It also gave me a moment to check the caller ID; she was calling from Phil's phone.

 _"Better. Kind of. The pain killers help."_ She said quickly. _"What's this about a baby?"_

Edward scoffed, not surprised in the least that she'd latched on to that tidbit.

"Edward and I have a new puppy. But that's not the reason you called." I also didn't want to talk about her, if I did, I'd miss her.

 _"You sound like your father."_ She said sounding somewhat wistful _. "Straight to the point. You're right though. I wanted to apologize, I know I owe you more than just anjust an apology, but it seems like a good place to start. I'm sorry Bella for the way I've acted and the things I've said, I-I don't want to lose my daughter Bella, and the fact that you weren't here when I woke up lets me know you're halfway out the door."_

"Can you blame me?" I bit out without thinking. "Sorry."

I heard her sigh through the phone, and some rustling. I hoped she wasn't moving too much. _"Don't apologize; I deserved that, just like you deserve answers, so does Charlie."_

The line was silent, and I wasn't sure if I was supposed to say something to that. I'd made it perfectly clear that I wanted answers the last time I'd seen her.

"Renee?"

 _"I'm still here."_ She rushed out. _"I'm not sure where to start I guess. I hoped I'd be able to tell you in person, I guess I shouldn't expect that from you though. You're in the country at least."_

I looked at Edward, he didn't plan on saying anything, but he grabbed my hand and gave it a squeeze. He was here for me.

"Why don't you start explaining then? Our relationship isn't dead in the water, yet." And for the first time in years, my mother opened up to me.

Explaining her actions didn't help ease the hurt. My mom was still a self-righteous woman, who often favored passing whims over rationale every day of the week. That's why she broke my father's heart and dragged me out of the house, half asleep with a poorly packed backpack and last year's too-small jacket. She was chasing a dream of grandeur and figured if she could give me one thing as a mother; it should be something big and flashy and that was unobtainable in small little Forks, on a cop's salary.

My whole life was uprooted for such a material reason. My father's heart was broken for the very same reason.

I didn't want 'things', ever. I wanted my Dad. My bedroom. I wanted to puppy-sit the police dogs in training for three weeks every year. My mother came from nothing, and though her intentions came from a place of goodness, and love, she didn't know me. Not then, and less so now. She had gotten her wish; she had obtained wealth and the freedom that offered her. That was her happiness, not mine.

I could forgive her intentions, but not her actions. That much I knew was true. I lost out on so much time with my father, and that I couldn't forgive.

"Thank you for finally telling me the truth." I said quietly through the phone. "But you're right; I'm not the only person you owe an apology to."

" _I know Bella, I know. I've emailed the contact email for 'The Point' and I'm hoping they'll get back to me soon. I've asked for their forgiveness, because I was way out of line and they were right to handle me the way they did."_

I sighed, shaking my head. "I'm not talking about the Cullen's, though you're right, they do deserve an apology. I was talking about Dad. I think you need to tell him why you broke his heart and took the only thing he ever cared about across the country."

" _Your father and I have said everything we've ever needed to say to each other about my leaving, Bella."_

"Does he know why you left? Does he know why you took me with him? Does he know that he was never good enough to keep you happy long-term because everything you wanted out of life he couldn't give to you?"

" _It wasn't like that, Bella."_ Renee tried to defend in a bit of a strangled sob. " _I loved your father. He's a great man, kind, gentle, yet strong. He just isn't the right man for me."_

"Because he isn't rich. He couldn't finance your every passing whim." Edward squeezed my hand, drawing my attention to him. He was shaking my head at me. Making me pause.

Edward's eyes told me what he chose not to voice. That wasn't my battle. That was Charlie's. If he cared to know the answers, he could get them from her himself.

I sighed, my shoulders heaving with the effort. I could hear Renee crying through the phone.

"I forgive you." I said evenly. "I'm sure the Cullen's will reply when they see your email."

The hardest part about being a grown-up, is knowing when to let go. I needed to let go of the anger I felt toward my mother. She was the only mother I was ever going to have.

 _"Thank you, Baby."_ Renee sniffled. _"You're the best thing I've ever done in my whole life. Know that. I love you."_

"You too, Mom."

I could tell Renee was bottoming out as her words started slurring as her sentences trailed off. After a couple of minutes I wrapped up the conversation and gave a non-committal response when she'd asked if she'd see me. I forgave her, but I wasn't sure if I was willing to see her again. Not just yet.

I snuggled into Edward, my phone discarded on the night stand. Edward was playing with my fingers as my head rested against his chest. I could hear the steady thrum of his heartbeat as his chest rose and fell with every breath.

I missed, Topaz. Even though she hadn't been with us long, she'd wiggled her way into everyone's hearts. Second to Edward walking through my door, or walking in to see Edward, I loved seeing my Baby Girl; her tail wagging, and always just so happy to see us.

"What's with the sigh, Love?" I hadn't even realized I'd sighed loudly enough for Edward to notice. Then again, he noticed everything.

"I miss Topaz."

"We'll be home soonhome soon, Baby."

But not soon enough.

I still needed to pluck up the nerve to see my mother again. Only then would I feel right about hopping another plane back to Auckland.

I'd see Renee tomorrow.

* * *

 **So, that just happened... what do you think?**

 **Sorry if that chapter breaks seems abrupt, it was necessary to prevent this from being a 30,000 word chapter.**

 **Also, its breaking my heart to say this, but the end of this fic is nearning. Don't fret though, there will be some EPOV outtakes... maybe some future takes too.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey guys, sorry for the slightly later than normal update. I'm currently on holiday in New Zealand, and between a red eye flight, right after a full day at work I couldn't find the time. Now that I'm home, and on a computer, here you all go.**

 **Once again, a massive thanks to EdwardsFirstKiss for making this better.**

* * *

"Babe, have you seen my woolen socks?" Edward asked as I looked down at my feet which were currently adorned by the missing socks.

"No, have you checked the laundry room?"

I heard Edward shuffling away, so I assumed he was doing exactly that.

Edward and I were currently packing for our return trip to New Zealand. We'd said all we'd needed to say. Charlie had forced Edward into a fishing trip. I faced my mother and even managed to see far too many townspeople than I'd intended to.

All in all, I think it was a good trip, and Edward can no longer say he doesn't know where I grew up. Well, where I call home is probably more accurate. Lord knows that there was a massive chunk of time where Forks wasn't my home.

But I'm over that now. I've forgiven my mother.

"They're not here either." Edward called from the laundry room. I quickly headed back upstairs with our laundry that I'd just folded. On top, Edward's spare pair of woolen socks.

I split our clothes between our bags. Other than a few souvenirs, we weren't really going back with much more than we'd arrived with. A couple of flannel shirts Charlie gave Edward as well as a Forks Police Jacket. Something he'd never given Jacob, and he was supposed to have loved him like a son.

Sue gave me a couple of sweaters she'd seen in Port Angeles she thought I'd like, which was sweet and appreciated. They would certainly come in handy when winter rolled around again in Auckland. Plus the books I'd received from Mr. Modina.

Renee hadn't given me anything; instead, she'd had Phil ship something back to _'The Point'._ It was likely to be there waiting for us when we arrived home, given she'd sent it the day after our phone call, when I'd left the hospital after seeing her.

 _"Hey Mom." I said awkwardly from the door. "How're you feeling?"_

 _She looked so happy when she saw me. Maybe she had been scared that I was going to write her out of my life. I'd thought about it, but when all was said and done she was still my mother._

 _"Bella, come in, come in. I wasn't expecting you." I shrugged but followed her instruction. I chose to sit in the chair next to her bed, it was warm. Phil probably hadn't been gone too long._

 _"You look better." I offered lamely, not really sure what we had left to say, but steadfast in my need to physically speak to her face to face before I left._

 _"I feel better, much better. Seeing you, well, you've just made my recovery."_

 _"Thanks." Yeah, that was lame. "I just wanted to see you before Edward and I headed back home."_

 _It was hard not to notice the way Renee flinched when I said home._

 _"Oh, you're leaving so soon?"_

 _"We both have lives to get back to Mom. My students need me, and Edward's patients need him. He kind of cashed in every favor he had to get this time off."_

 _"That boy's good for you, isn't he?" Her voice was wistful, almost sad._

 _"I'm beginning to think he's the best thing to ever happen to me."_

 _"I can see that now. You light up when you talk about him and watching you two together is like watching a Disney love story play out. You move, he moves. You're like satellites in orbit, and the way he looks at you, Bella;. It's like you're the only person he sees. You look at him the same way too."_

 _I smiled, she wasn't the first person to point that out to me, but it didn't make me any less receptive to the observation. Edward and I were best friends turned to lovers._

 _He's the last person I see at night and the first person I see when I wake up. He knows my secrets, my fears, and he loves me all the same. Just like I do him. Unlike when I was with Jake I don't have to hide anything from him. If I cried in front of him, he' d hug me until I felt better. If I flew off in a rage, he'd buy me chocolate ice-cream and would hand me some Nurofen. In the scheme of things, my flying off the handle was nothing compared to his mother, sister, and sister-in-law, but still he took it like a trooper and made me feel better._

 _The Cullen men from my experience needed to be immortalized as Gods among men because that is exactly what they were._

 _"When you know, you know." My mother had told me once when I was a little girl. At the time she'd been talking about my father, but I couldn't dwell on that anymore. They were a lot happier apart than together._

 _"I still haven't heard from the Cullens, but I'm okay with that. I just wanted them to know how sorry I am. There was a read receipt that came through though, so I know they've at least seen it."_

 _I nodded my head, really I knew that could just mean that one of Alice's staff could have opened the email, it didn't necessarily mean it had reached the attention of Alice yet._

 _"They'll reply, when they're ready."_

 _"You know Bella; I honestly didn't think you'd see me before you left. I figured you'd said all you needed to say." I shrugged in response because I had said all I needed to say. But it didn't feel right flying all this way and not see her while she was conscious._

 _"It felt like the right thing to do. I couldn't leave without seeing you awake. I thought about it, but it didn't seem right."_

 _Renee didn't seem surprised in the least. "You never used to be this honest, Bella. When you were a little girl, you were always so quick to acquiesce, or say what you knew I wanted to hear."_

 _Because I knew then that it was easier than battling for the truth, or what was right._

 _"It's nice to see this doggedness come out Bella. It makes your father and I feel a lot better knowing you're not the type to take anything lying down. When your only daughter is on the other side of the world, well, it makes any parent worry."_

 _"You don't need to worry about me." I said too quickly._

 _"I know that. You've always been more than capable of taking care of yourself, and now I know you're also strong enough not to be taken advantage of too. You make your father and me so proud, Isabella."_

 _I actually smiled at that, because when she was at the Cullens, the last thing I thought she felt toward me was pride._

 _I noticed the way Renee's eyes started drooping, and I figured her painkillers were kicking in or something._

 _I waited, not saying anything as I noticed her eyes falling closed. She had lost her battle to sleep quickly, and with a quick kiss on her forehead I left._

 _"I love you, Mom." I whispered from the door before smiling and walking out of the hospital._

 _Our relationship was still a far cry from being solid, but it was mending. That was probably the deepest conversation we'd had face to face in as long as I could remember._

"Sock thief!" Edward mock glared, when he came upstairs and noticed my snuggly warm toes.

"Finders keepers." I sassed, zipping up my suitcase.

Edward didn't like that and crossed the room quickly, picking me up around the waist and tossing me easily on my bed before jumping on top of me and tickling me mercilessly.

I screamed Mercy, I screamed Uncle, I screamed a whole lot of 'Fuck, fuck, stop, please!' but he kept going until tears were streaming down my face and my ribs ached from laughing.

"That'll teach you." he joked, pulling the socks from my feet.

"Dude, you could have grabbed the pair of socks from the top of your suitcase." I groaned, watching as he slid his feet into his socks.

"Yes, well, you could have told me you had them so I didn't tear apart your father's laundry. Besides, these are toasty warm."

I shrugged my shoulders, reaching over to grab the pair from the top of his suitcase. "I'm surprised you couldn't tell I was lying."

"Baby, I was significantly more worried about my toes freezing off on the hardwood floors. How the hell do your Dad, and Sue walk around barefoot?"

"They grew up here, Edward. They're used to it."

"I don't know how anyone could get used to this cold. There's a reason I live in Auckland. I'd rather deal with rain than snow any day of the week. I don't do cold well."

With socks back on my feet, I hugged Edward around the waist, resting my head on his shoulder.

"Well at least we're going back to summer."

Edward reached around, pulling me until I was sitting sideways across his lap. I rested my head against his shoulder again, loving the way his arms felt around me.

"We'll get to take you up to K Bay where we go paddling with our Aunty and Uncle. We'll probably hit up Tuts too and Matas. You'll really enjoy it, and we'll get some colour into you yet. I think a week at the bach might finally colour you up."

I had no idea where the places were that he was talking about, but it had me thinking we were heading somewhere up north.

"What's the batch?" I asked, not having heard them mention that before.

"The bach, b-a-c-h, is in Pataua, we go there every year since, well since as long as I can remember."

"Is it a hotel?" Edward shook his head, his chest rumbling as he laughed quietly.

"Sorry Baby, sometimes I forget you're still new to NZ." He said that to me a few times now. Something about me just 'fitting in'. "A bach is normally what I guess you would call a holiday home, or beach house maybe?" he looked at me questioningly and I just shrugged. "It's nothing flashy, but its ours. Its on a massive section of land with a garage. It has three rooms, which was all good when we were kids, but now we tend to have to take tents up to accommodate everyone. As long as it's Rose and Jasper pitching the tents, it'll be all good."

"I know how to put up a tent." I said proudly. Charlie had taught me one summer when he thought I might enjoy going camping with him. I didn't hate it, it was nice and quiet and I was able to do a lot of reading. Next time though, lame as it sounds, I would appreciate camping near a functional toilet and shower facilities.

"Good, because we Cullen's do not. Well, I have a fair idea, but I'm normally the last one up. Public hospital and all, I normally work right up until Christmas Eve before I can get away. I've seen Alice try to put up a tent though, she just ends up really angry. She went at Emmett with a tent post once and since then Rose and Jasper put up the tents."

"So that's what we're doing for Christmas then?"

"It's a Cullen tradition."

Another Cullen tradition I was looking forward to. However, I was hoping I could bring something from my family to them.

"Edward, do you think that maybe you and your family would be interested in celebrating Thanksgiving with me?"

"Will there be turkey?" He asked by way of an answer making me smile.

"With all the trimmings and sides. Do you think Alice can set aside the fourth Thursday of this month and ensure we don't have any guests? I'll need the full-sized kitchen."

"I'll clear the day myself if I have to Bella."

"You just want turkey."

"I won't deny that, Bella. I've seen Thanksgiving my whole life, I'm keen to try proper food. Sweet potato pie, green bean casserole… whatever else goes with that."

I laughed at Edward. Such a man. All he wanted was food.

When Charlie and Sue returned home from the grocery store about half an hour later, Edward and I had finally finished packing and had moved our luggage into the living room.

I saw the sadness in Charlie's eyes when he noticed the bags, but he tried his best to mask it.

"Hey guys, I was wondering if maybe we could go out for lunch before Edward and I drive to the airport."

Sue smiled first at me and then at Charlie who's eyes lit up with the idea.

"We could go to Port Angeles if you'd like, or to the Lodge." I offered though, I was perfectly happy just going to the Lodge. It meant I didn't have to bother changing.

"I wouldn't mind going back to the Lodge." Edward answered, and that didn't surprise me. Edward absolutely loved waffles, more so when I told him Cora made them from scratch. He'd only ever tried frozen waffles.

I bit back my laugh as I looked back at Charlie. "Son, you and I are going to get along just fine." Charlie laughed as he grabbed his keys from the counter.

We led them outside; Edward helping me into my coat before pulling on his own.

The Lodge was emptier than I'd ever seen it when we arrived a little after eleven. Cora was quick to take our drink orders, and too happy to see Edward and me before we left.

Sue, Charlie and I sipped on coffee while Edward asked for milk tea. The lodge only had English breakfast, but Edward didn't mind. He'd been drinking coffee a lot lately; I guess he must have been feeling a little homesick.

"So, your mother tells me you two talked." Charlie eventually said as Cora set our drinks down.

Cora asked if we were ready to order before I had the chance to respond. Edward ordered blueberry waffles and a fruit salad, earning a scoff from Charlie. Dad ordered his usual, burger with the works; Sue ordered a veggie burger while I ordered the BLT.

"Yup." I busied myself by adding a teaspoon of sugar to Edward's tea, stirring gently.

"Good talk?"

"Great."

"Bella, I expect more than monosyllabic answers from you. What did you talk about? Were you two civil? Was there anyone present who can corroborate your story?"

"Charlie!" Sue chastised, making Charlie roll his eyes.

"We talked dad. A lot was said. We're fine now. That's all there is to it."

"You're not going to give me more than that are you?" I shook my head. If Charlie wanted more than that, he was going to have to speak to Renee.

"Dad, we came here because Renee was in an accident. She's stable and recovering, our relationship is on the mend and hopefully we might be able to have a normal mother-daughter relationship. You don't have to know everything that was said. Just know I've said my piece and we're moving forward."

Charlie was looking at me strangely. His mouth twitching as he started to say something than changed his mind a couple of times.

"Dad?"

"I guess I want to thank you. Phil told me what you asked your mom, Bella. About why she left me. Even after all this time I still couldn't ask her myself, but you finally got me the answers I needed to close that chapter of my life for good. She and I can finally be friends again."

"That's good right?" Edward chimed in before sipping from his cup. He hummed in appreciation making me smile. He loved his tea.

"It's long overdue." Sue answered for Charlie, and she was right. Charlie and Renee played nice for my sake but they were never friends.

"She broke my heart too, Dad. Need I remind you I have always been a bit of a Daddy's girl?"

Charlie smiled, awkwardly patting my hand. "That much Baby girl, your old man has always remembered."

"I probably don't say this enough Dad, but I love you." I'd never realized before, but I couldn't remember a time when I'd told my dad that I loved him.

"Goes without saying, Bells. I love you too." Charlie looked a bit choked up. He was quick to take a sip of his coffee and turn to look at Sue.

Moment over.

Edward knew that too as he pulled me into his side, kissing my forehead. "I love you too." He whispered quietly, just as Cora returned with our food. I didn't realize that everything came with fries until the bowls were all placed down in front of us.

Edward pouted as I quickly speared a blueberry from his plate.

"Sharing is caring." I joked, holding a fry up for him. He kissed me lips before eating the fry from my fork.

Edward and I were in a bubble as we fed each other fruit and fries. I guess we'd forgotten our company.

"I love seeing you like this, Bella." I heard Charlie say as I looked from Edward to my dad.

Sue tittered under her breath making me throw a glance her way.

"Seeing me like what?"

"In love, Baby. You look happy, and the two of you behave like newlyweds. It's nice to see. Bit strange too, but still as a father, watching the man who loves my daughter look at you the way Edward does, it makes letting you go that much easier."

Now I was confused. Charlie was getting sentimental, and it was clearly playing tricks with me. "Why on earth would you be letting me go, Dad? Sounds like you're firing me as your daughter."

"What? No! That's not what I meant. I just meant that giving you away will be a lot easier knowing how much Edward loves you. Not every man will cash in every favor they have to be with their girlfriend when she has a family emergency." Well, my Māori boy would, and so would every single member of his family. It was their culture. Family meant everything to them.

I smiled at Charlie. "Is this your way of saying you approve of Edward?"

He blushed bright red before coughing to clear his throat. He still hadn't answered my question, but I didn't think he was going to. He and Edward had clearly done some bonding out on the lake, so I figured they'd probably already done the whole, 'what're your intentions with my daughter' spiel.

"Have you enjoyed your stay, Edward?"

Edward nodded his head enthusiastically, chewing his waffle before answering.

"Yeah, it's crazy. I see heaps of stuff on TV about living in America, but its different being here, seeing reality. I like diners; they're so much better than pubs and cafes. It's been an amazing experience seeing where Bella comes from."

Sue smiled indulgently at Edward while Charlie softly huffed. Yeah, he was happy to have met Edward too. Properly.

"You'll have to visit us, Dad. If you two don't have plans, maybe you could join us for Thanksgiving."

Edward slapped the table excitedly. "Yes, you both should come. It would be great! We'd love to have you and there's plenty of room. We can take you to the beaches, I can show you how my people fish. Please consider it?"

"I thought I'd show the Cullen's something from my background, and Edward seemed keen so we're going to host Thanksgiving at the Point. If Seth and Leah don't have plans of their own are welcome too."

Sue looked absolutely in love with the idea as she turned at Charlie. "Yes, yes of course we'll come. Charlie was already taking Thanksgiving off this year and we were thinking about going on a road trip, but visiting New Zealand sounds like a lot of fun."

"It'll be summer too." I pointed out trying to sweeten the deal a little more.

"I'll look into tickets when we get home." Charlie answered enthusiastically.

I couldn't help the giddy feeling that settled in my chest. I'd wanted to show Charlie how I was living. He'd wanted to see it for months now, and it seemed only fair to give him a reason to visit.

Sue was clapping her hands excitedly as she stared her doe eyes at my father which felt slightly awkward and made me look away.

Lunch wrapped up fairly quickly. A couple of Charlie's friends trickled in, and when they realized I was leaving shortly they were quick to wish me well.

When we got back to Charlie's, Edward was quick to start loading up the rental Charlie had one of his boys pick up for us. When that was all set, our goodbyes were quick, but reluctant all the same.

The two-and-a-half weeks we'd spent here were too short, but all the same too long. I wanted to get back to reality. We both needed it, and knowing Edward he'd probably racked up a lot more leave than he'd taken, I doubted he wanted to use it all up at once.

I drove us back to Seattle. It wasn't the shortest drive, but Edward was still reluctant to drive on the wrong side of the road, in the wrong side of the car. Maybe if I'd thought to rent a Mustang or a Charger, he'd have been more inclined. I wasn't complaining though.

As long as the drive was, between chatting with Edward and singing along to his phone, it was over quickly and before I knew it, we were on a plane headed home.

"Next time, we find a later flight." I whispered as we tiptoed through the lobby of _The Point_.

Leaving Seattle at five local time, Friday evening and arriving at five-forty-five, Sunday morning is not ideal. Sixteen hours of flying. Plus side, we weren't sitting next to mouth breathers; actually the flight was fairly empty. So Edward and I had the aisle to ourselves.

We'd lost over a day travelling due to the time difference, and I was certain that I'd be feeling it this time around.

We weren't sure if there were many if any guests staying so we tried to move our bags as quietly as possible. No one seemed to stir, so we must have been successful.

It took me a while to get my door open. I struggled with the key, but after a moment we were aware of and clearly disturbing the sleep of a wiling little puppy who'd found her voice.

I was shocked they'd left her in our room, but when I saw her, growling from my pillow I couldn't help but smile.

"Topaz!" I cried, dumping my bags and rushing up to my bed. Her growls turned into excited whines as she went absolutely crazy hopping all over the bed, turning round in circles.

The second my knees hit the bed she was all over me. Her warm, wet tongue licking all over my face. She gently nipped at my ears, my nose, and the collar of my shirt. Well it was more like she was gumming them.

Nana Esme had clearly been training puppy in our absence.

I felt the bed dip as Edward joined us, lying on his back next to me. As soon as Topaz realized Edward had joined us, she was all over him too.

"Did you miss me, Girl?" He asked, scratching behind her ears.

I know she was only a puppy, but the tenderness he had towards her had my heart skipping a beat. It was similar to the way my heart felt watching Edward with Claire.

"Daddy missed you too." He cooed once she'd finally settled down some.

 _Ovaries just exploded_.

Topaz, excited as she was, clearly hadn't had enough sleep as she settled between Edward and me with a possessive paw on each of our chests as she drifted off to sleep.

"Guess she missed us too, Daddy." I told Edward as I looked over the puppy's head.

"It slipped out." Edward said, scratching her behind her ears, "but that's what I am to her, aren't I?"

"Guess that makes me, Mommy?"

"Well there can't be a Daddy without a Mummy."

I rolled onto my side, careful not to move Topaz too much. She raised her head, but laid it back down tucking herself into a ball. Edward mirrored the movement.

"Do you want that title, Edward? Do you want to be someone's daddy?" I stared into his eyes, looking at the sincerity in them. His eyes displayed his emotions so well; I could see the answers before he opened his mouth.

"I do." His voice rang with a whole lot more than just agreement.

"You'd like to say that in a different setting too, wouldn't you?"

Edward grabbed my left hand with his, pulling it toward his lips as he kissed my ring finger.

"Baby that goes without saying. You're my life. I want everything with you. I want to give you my name." He rested our hands on my stomach. "My baby."

"I want that too. I want a baby with you."

"Perhaps we should do things in the proper order first, hmm?" Edward said like we were discussing what we were having for dinner rather than our future child, or children.

"What are you suggesting?"

Edward closed his eyes, taking a deep breath before he rolled off the bed to his feet. He headed toward his bag and after a minute of rifling he pulled something out of it.

He took a second before joining me on the bed again. I was shocked when he very gently picked Topaz out and moved her back up to the pillows. She stirred, growled, but quickly settled into the pillows. She was tired.

"Your father and I didn't actually go fishing, Baby." Edward said turning back around to me.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, Charlie drove me to Seattle." Now I was confused. Why on earth would they have gone to Seattle?

"That's over a seven hour round trip."

Edward laughed. "I remember."

"What were you doing in Seattle, Edward?" I was beyond curious, and tipping the scale at worried. Was he hiding something from me? I severely doubted that given that he was with my father, but still.

"I was shopping."

"You couldn't do that in Port Angeles? Or when I was at the hospital with Renee?"

"Whoa," Edward said quickly, he grabbed my left hand again, pulling it up to his face and kissing my knuckles. "I can see your mind going a mile a minute. It was shopping I couldn't do with you because it was for you. Remembering I'm directionally challenged on a good day, I asked Charlie for help."

"Even though I used to live in Seattle, not Charlie."

"Doesn't matter. Now, stop talking and just listen."

Edward waited a moment to see if I'd respond. Other than narrowing my eyes at him. I kept my mouth shut.

"Nearly four hours is a lot of time to talk to your dad. He's not a conversationalist, but I did most of the talking, anyway. So it didn't really matter. I told him what I saw in our future, and he was okay with it, dare I say happy for us."

Great, Charlie's chuffed. I was confused. Edward was on a roll though, so I let him keep talking.

We had far too many serious conversations when we were dog-tired.

"There was only one place I needed to go. Well, one type of shop really. I didn't want to go to anything mainstream or high-strung. They make me nervous. So we found an antique store."

I hated how when Edward was nervous, he rambled. When you're tired and just want an answer, rambling is not productive.

"Well, Charlie had already given me the go ahead; I just needed to find the perfect—"

"Can you stop with the story, please and get to the point." I asked impatiently.

Edward actually laughed at my impatience rather than getting upset.

He rolled over, up onto to his knees. He was looking down at me, which judging by the furrow in his brow he didn't like. Tired as I was when Edward helped me up I followed until I was sitting cross legged on the bed.

"I never thought I'd do this again, but I love you so much Bella, I can't imagine life without you. This isn't the most romantic proposal in the world, probably far from it." He took a deep breath, meeting my gaze. "Isabella Swan, you came into my life and were a breath of fresh air. Falling for you was easy, telling you was a lot harder. You're still my best friend, but you're also so much more, you're my whole life and I want to spend the rest of my life with you as my wife. Will you marry me?"

I laughed, because my body was torn between lauging or crying. Then I realized why I couldn't see straight, I was crying.

From what I could make out of Edward, he didn't look worried about my outburst. Not that I could see at least.

"Baby, you gotta give me an answer." Edward hedged.

"Yes." I laughed. "Of course, yes."

I felt Edward sliding something on my finger, it was cold, metal and I still couldn't see it through my tears. It was heavy though, but the band on the thinner side.

"Are you a bit delirious, love?" Edward laughed when I still hadn't stopped crying.

He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me into his chest, turning us so we were spooning.

I sniffled a bit, trying to stop my tears. Edward leaned over wiping away my tears with the pad of his thumbs.

"Settle down, Love." He cooed. "Go to sleep, baby. We might be dealing with the family in a few hours."

"I love you." I said though a sniffle.

Edward pressed a kiss to the top of my head before pulling my decorative blanket over the two of us. "I love you too, Bella Cullen."

I drifted off with a smile. I really like the idea of being, Bella Cullen.

 _"Alice, we lost the puppy."_ I heard a panicked voice whisper, pulling me from my dream.

 _"She was here last night around midnight when I took her out; she was asleep on the couch when I left."_

I'd assumed someone had put her up in our bed, I didn't think she was tall enough to get up on her own.

 _"Well she's not there now, Jas."_ Alice tried to say calmly. But she was freaking out.

My body wasn't as willing and awake as my mind, so in bed I stayed, with Edward wrapped around me and Topaz snoring in my hair.

 _"When are Bella and Edward going to be back? We need to find her or they'll kill us."_

If my puppy had been missing when I returned, I would have killed them. They would have prayed for a quick death.

 _"I don't know, the end of the week? Don't worry though, she's probably just playing. She likes hide and seek."_

 _"Alice, hide and seek for her means she buries her head in the couch."_

 _"Think positively."_

 _"I'm positive Bella will kill me."_

 _"What about Edward?"_

 _"He's a doctor, I'm banking on the fact he's a lover not a fighter."_

 _"Yeah, no."_

Finally my body seemed to be catching up with my mind as blinked my eyes open. I couldn't even remember shutting the bedroom door, but we had. Edward too was starting to stir, as I felt him tighten his grip, his lips kissing along my neck.

"Good morning, fiancé."

Edward chuffed, before I knew it I was on my back and Edward was on top of me, his knees on either side of mine. His lips were on me before I could say anything.

This is the kiss I was too delirious for earlier. It was tongue and teeth to start, raw and needy, but slowly the passion brought with it tenderness. Love. His hands cradled my face. When he pulled away, he rested his forehead on mine, as he looked into my eyes.

I could see it all, his love for me, his passion for us, and the eyes of our future children.

His eyelashes were amazing though I'd noticed that a long time ago. They were ridiculously long, brushing his cheeks when he blinked and dark too, unlike his copper toned hair. I didn't think my eyelashes were as gorgeous as his. All of the Cullen's actually, had eyelashes to die for.

"Good morning, Baby."

I laughed, leaning forward to peck him on the lips. "What a way to say good morning."

"I love you." I smiled.

"I love you too, but we need to get up before Jasper and Alice destroy my apartment looking for Topaz." At the sound of her name, she opened her eyes and looked up at us.

I scratched her tummy, but she didn't look like she was in any hurry to move from her spot on the pillows. I looked over at the clock and was surprised it was after lunch. We'd slept a lot longer than I thought we would.

I guess I should be happy that I didn't lose a whole day again.

"That must have been what woke me up. Hearing them walking around. They're not as stealthy as Charlie. Your Dad is like a Ninja. I never heard him coming and going."

I nodded my head, and with a final sigh, and sat up. Edward followed soon after, and only when Topaz saw us moving around did she actually get up. She trotted over to the side of the bed and looked down pitifully.

"How on earth did you get up here, Miss?" Edward asked as he picked her up and set her down on the floor.

She wasn't a massive fan of being picked up, but even she knew when she didn't have a choice in the matter.

"What's this about my sister?"

"She and Jasper have been freaking out in the lounge looking for Topaz."

Just then, I think Edward heard them arguing through the door as the sounds of furniture moving around was heard.

"Come on." Edward said holding out his hands. I clicked my fingers and Topaz followed us.

Alice and Jasper didn't hear us open my bedroom door. They were too busy checking the fridge and kitchen cupboards.

"You're not going to find her in the fridge, Alice." Edward said amused. Topaz decided to take a seat on my feet as we watched Alice move on from the fridge to the trash.

"Really, Alice. The bin?"

She turned around to glare at me. "Well I don't see you coming up with anything better, Bella!"

Jasper seemed to gather his wits before Alice as he pulled his head from the cupboard and looked at us.

"Yo." He said pitifully.

"Looking for this?" Edward said pointing down at my feet where Topaz was sitting.

Jasper scared the hell out of the puppy when he rushed over picking her up. He held her to his chest as he scolded her. She was to never do anything like that to Uncle Jasper again.

"Okay, weird guy." I couldn't help but mouth as I looked at Edward. He just shrugged, eyeing Jasper rather wearily until he put our squirming puppy down.

She was only too eager to plant herself between Edward's and my legs.

"When did you two get back?" Alice asked, returning to her senses.

She quickly starting filling the jug-as I'd recently found myself calling it- with water and switching it on. She fished out cups from the cupboard and pulled the milk from the fridge. Someone must have replaced the milk.

Edward looked at the time on the microwave. "About six hours ago."

"I thought you weren't getting back until the end of the week." I shrugged. We were supposed to stay until the end of the week, but we were both homesick and we'd done and seen everything we'd wanted.

"Homesick."

"We'd done all we needed to do, there was no point sticking around." Jasper did not like that answer.

"Dude, you were in the U.S."

Edward threw his arm around my shoulder. "It's just a country, J. We both just wanted to get home."

Alice placed her hand on Jasper's forearm. "I get it." She said warmly before turning her back on us again as she finished making our tea.

It didn't take her too long though as within in moments she was joining the party again.

"Well, sit, sit, let's talk." Alice said juggling four mugs as she walked over to the couch.

Laughing, all the way I followed her over to the couch. Topaz was practically glued to Edward and me as we headed over to the sofa. I snuggled into Edward's side as Alice and Jasper sat opposite us.

Topaz was whining from the floor, so I quickly reached down and put her up on the sofa. She placed her head on Edward's lap and was a goner.

I picked up my cup, taking a sip. No one made tea like Alice, except for maybe Esme. I missed a good cup of tea and I moaned in appreciation. Edward just chuckled.

"So, how was it?"

And then the story began. I didn't go into too much detail about Renee and me, although Alice did ask. She'd seen the email and had finally typed out a reply with the help of Carlisle and Esme.

They had accepted her apology, and I guess that was that. The Cullen's weren't inclined to holding grudges. If you wronged them badly enough, you wouldn't have a place in their lives anymore.

When I told Alice about us hosting Thanksgiving she was over the moon. As luck would have it, the wedding that'd been planned for the weekend rescheduled for January when the bride should be out of her first trimester.

"Will you need help in the kitchen? I could-"

Remembering the last time Alice had done something domestic in the kitchen, I was shaking my head immediately. So was Jasper.

"Thanks but we should be fine. Sue, my step-mom will be here too with my Dad. She and I have been cooking Thanksgiving together since I was twelve."

"Are you sure?"

Edward scoffed and answered for me. "Ugh. Yeah, she's sure."

Jasper coughed to cover his laugh at Alice's expense.

"Well, as fun as being mocked is. I guess I have suppliers I'll need to contact for you, and updates I need to make on our website." Alice said quickly, dragging Jasper out behind her.

"See you." We both waved at their retreating forms as they let themselves out.

"Well that went better than expected." Edward smiled, pulling up my left hand. It was the first time that I'd taken the time to look at my ring, and it was gorgeous.

"Oh, wow."

Now I knew why the ring felt heavy. The stone was massive. Bigger than anything I had ever thought I'd be given. I actually prayed it wasn't a diamond. The stone probably measured maybe half an inch tall, maybe a third wide. It was pear shaped, with small pave diamonds around the outside and running halfway down the white gold band on either side.

"Charlie and you outdid yourselves. Edward this must have cost a fortune!" He shook his head, pulling the ring up so we could both take a closer look.

"The price didn't matter, Bella. I saw it, and well I just had to get it. Your dad thought I was crazy. See this stone," he pointed to the center stone, it was hard to miss. "It's actually Topaz."

"Really? I didn't know white topaz was a stone."

"It is. The rest are diamonds though. I thought you'd like it. It's a bit different, but classic at the same time."

"That's what the sales woman said, isn't it?"

Edward laughed. "Yeah. I just thought it was pretty. I didn't exactly know what to look for when I was looking for a ring. I read the description before I actually saw it if I'm being honest. The sales woman humoured me every time I asked her about the stone. It's a natural white topaz. I apparently impressed Sue when I showed her the ring. I'm a keeper."

I put my hand on his face when he tried to kiss me. "You did not just say that to me."

He didn't look contrite at all. He was highly amused.

Growing up with a family like his, he was used to his failures being mocked more than his accomplishments. Never in my life had I met a person more humble than him, the whole family actually. They were terrible at taking compliments, each and every one of them. They would all much rather take a verbal jab than accept a compliment. It was the only time I had ever saw the Cullens' look uncomfortable.

"Egg." Edward laughed, batting my hand away. He was quick to start tickling my sides, making me squeal. Topaz was not happy as she trotted off to her bed.

"Poached egg."

"Boiled egg."

"Rotten egg."

Edward stopped tickling me long enough to kiss me.

It took me a few times to hear them calling each other eggs before I asked them what it meant. They don't really remember when it started; it's just something they'd picked up when they were children.

There was a movie though, _Boy_ , where they called each other eggs, and every variation thereof. It was set in the nineties I think, or the eighties. It was hilarious, and I guess it introduced me a little to more kiwi culture.

It still amazed me, how much I'd learned so far, but also how much more there was to learn too.

Alice was appalled when she found out I knew p _olice_ _, beer and hangover in Te Reo_. I was somewhat impressed. Emmett just thought he was a good teacher. He wasn't. Edward actually taught me them. They were among the few words he knew too.

Neither of us had figured out how to string them together in a sentence though.

It felt so good to be home again. I missed my apartment, my puppy, the family. It still shocked me how quickly New Zealand had become home. I knew I'd need to start looking into finalizing my permanent residency, before I could look at citizenship. I didn't really want either to hinge on the fact that Edward and I were eventually going to get married.

One day, I'd be a dual citizen, so would our children.

We'd actually, though very briefly, discussed children. Kind of. It had been mentioned.

Then something he'd said struck me. Did he want to get married before we had children? Not that I was opposed to the idea, I just, well, didn't want to wait to start trying for a baby.

Seeing Edward with Claire had certainly gotten the wheels turning, and seeing him with Topaz, even though she was only a dog. The way he reacted to Rosalie's pregnancy too, he was already a doting Uncle and their baby wasn't even born yet.

"Hey, you mentioned something this morning about 'doing things right'." I asked, looking up at Edward's face as I snuggled into his side.

"I did."

"Well," I started, pausing as I chewed on my lip. I guess the only way to get the answers I was looking for was to ask the question. "What did you mean by that exactly?"

"What do you think I meant?" I was trying to read his face for emotion, or any real reaction but he wasn't giving anything away.

"Okay. Um, well, I guess I just wanted to know if you were being literal. Do you want us to be married before we have children?"

His face still wasn't giving anything away, but he sat up a little, turning the both of us so we were face to face.

"I guess I should have seen this conversation coming."

I shrugged. He definitely should have. He had set the foundations.

He'd said the words himself. He wanted to be a Daddy. He wanted to be the father of my children, and I too wanted him to father my children.

"I want a baby, Bella." Edward said very seriously as he placed his hand on my belly. "I'm not getting any younger. I've had one failed marriage already. I'd thought back then that we needed to wait for the right time to have children, and well you know how that turned out." I squeezed his hands where they rested on my stomach. "I told you I wanted to do things right, but I think it has more to with the respect that I have for your father."

"So what are you saying exactly?" I asked when silence fell upon us.

I didn't know if he was trying to tell me he wanted to try, or he wanted to get married first.

"I want to be a Dad. Soon."

I didn't need to express my answer with words. I was in a doing mood, and I knew exactly what I wanted to do. I cleared the space between us quickly as I pushed Edward down onto his back, moving to straddle his waist.

He was compliant, as I held him down by the shoulders, leaning down so we were face to face.

I pecked his lips quickly, chastely. Shifting my hips over him, he pulled away only to moan, hands holding me around the waist.

I sat back, resting more fully onto him. Making him groan once more. He tried to reach for me again, his hips shifting up. I slapped his hands away when he tried to wrap them around my waist and quickly pulled my t-shirt over my head.

His eyes darkened as he looked up at me, jade bleeding to onyx. When he reached for me, this time I let him. His palms were calloused from years of weight lifting, but they felt glorious against my skin. His touch was like fire, searing its way through my skin.

I quickly reached down, shuffling back a little so I could reach for the hem of his shirt. "This needs to go." Edward agreed, sitting up a little so I could pull it off.

I ran my hands over his chest, delighting in the way his muscles contracted under my touch. He hadn't been training as often when were at Charlie's. He tried to go for jogs a few times, but that was about it. Still, he looked perfect to me. His skin was still tan, and the light smattering of hair was soft, and tickled.

I was shocked when Edward sat up straight, holding me by the thighs as he rose to his feet. I squealed, wrapping my arms around his neck as he carried us toward my bedroom.

"If we're doing this, we're doing it right." He declared, kicking the door shut behind us and turning the lock. "I don't want any interruptions.

I shook my head. "Neither do I."

He was rather unceremonious as he dropped my on my bed. Within seconds though, he was unbuttoning my jeans and sliding them down my thighs. My bra, then underwear followed before he kicked off his own.

He reached down, pulling my left hand to his lips as he kissed my engagement ring. "I love you, Bella. So much."

I reached out with the right hand, holding him around the neck I pulled his face toward me. His body followed as he settled between my legs. I could feel the warmth of him, right there, but he didn't press forward just yet.

"I love you too." I whispered back, moments before he entered me. There was no real foreplay, but it didn't matter. My body wanted Edward, always.

He was strong, hard, and deliberate. His pleasure was secondary as he played my body like an instrument eliciting moans and cries from me that'd never escaped me before.

He had me crying for more; my body was dancing precariously close to completion. I held him closer to me, my heels digging into his ass, I couldn't help the way I dug my nails into his back.

When he moved, I moved. The back and forth, push and pull dance was glorious. I begged for more, I begged for harder and not long after that I was begging Mary, God and Jesus for the overwhelming feeling to last as white spots clouded my vision. Edward followed soon after, his body pliant and heavy as he rested his full weight on me.

"We may not have made a baby." Edward joked, as he softened inside me, slipping out. "But I think we're going to enjoy trying."

"I never thought I wanted to be a mom before." I whispered as Edward rolled off me, pulling me with him.

"Why's that?"

"I was never around kids growing up. I'm an only child, so is my mom. I didn't have siblings until Dad married Sue. The first baby I held was Claire."

Edward looked absolutely shocked, his eyes widening.

"But you were so good with her." I shrugged.

"She's an easy baby." I answered. "Seeing you with her, seeing you with Topaz, and Rose during her pregnancy, that's driven the need home. Maybe I'm clucky, I don't know. Maybe it's my body clock, it started ticking and I want to move on with my life. Tanya said it in cruelty, but I want the white picket fence she painted and I want it with you."

"You've got it Baby. As soon as you're willing, I'd love to marry you, and as soon as we're blessed I can't wait to see your belly grow with our child."

"You're such a sap."

"But I'm your sap."

I puckered my lips, and Edward quickly leaned forward pressing his lips to mine.

"I love you."

"I love you too, Bella."

Edward pulled me tightly to him. I closed the distance and rested my head on his chest, with my hand thrown over his waist. I drifted off to sleep to the thrum of his heart beat and the smell of Edward.

A desperate scratching sound woke me up. When that sound was accompanied by pitiful whines and thumping against the door, I sat up. I hadn't realized how close to the edge of the bed we were until I'd sent Edward sailing off the side.

"Shit, sorry." I apologized. But Edward just waved the apology away, moving to sit up.

"Well, that was not the wakeup call I expected." Edward called behind me as I startled grabbing clothes from my dresser. I stepped into my underwear quickly, followed by yoga pants and a gym camisole. I was a fan of shelf bras.

"Topaz woke me up."

"That would do it." Edward quickly stood up throwing the covers on the bed; he stepped into a pair of underwear from his drawer and a pair of sweats. "Okay, I'm decent."

"I wasn't actually waiting for you, but okay."

I opened the door, and the way Topaz was eyeing me and then the front door I knew she desperately needed to go to the bathroom.

"Thanks." Edward deadpanned before grabbing the puppy's halter and lead. He handed them to me and while I clipped her in, he put his shirt on from earlier and found both of our flip flops—jandals.

Edward picked up Topaz, carefully, so as not to have an accident I imagined. She wasn't a massive fan of being picked up; she was less fidgety with Edward though.

 _Daddy's girl._

"Let's take her to the park." Edward said as he scratched her behind the ears, waiting for me at the door.

"Lead the way." I followed Edward down the stairs.

There weren't too many guests staying, but it was the middle of the week. I had noticed more guests recently—short stays. In the winter there were few, most staying as a stopover or a getaway weekend. There were only three rooms booked out every weekend throughout the winter for weddings.

Alice truly looked like she was in her element on those weekends. She was amazing at what she did.

We passed a couple of guests and politely smiled. Wishing them well. I saw some of the looks Edward received, though they may have been looking at Topaz I suppose. She was a little looker.

We waved to Alice as we caught sight of her at the reception desk. She was checking in a couple of guests. I noticed them turn when she waved, but they turned back to Alice soon after.

Outside, we headed down the road toward the park. It was a very short walk, about a hundred meters, maybe. There were always children at the park on the playground, even on the field. It was amazing, a park I'd one day like to take my children to.

We couldn't let Topaz off, so instead we walked around a bit so she could do her business. Edward was patting at his pockets and like any responsible pet owner, picked up after her, and handed me the leash so he could throw it in the trash.

Edward and I sat together on a park bench, not quite ready to head home. I picked Topaz up and sat her on the bench next to us. She rested her head on my lap, looking up at Edward and me until I noticed her drifting off to sleep. I rested my head on Edward's shoulder as we people watched. The sound of the ocean, laughing children, and seagulls was quite lulling as we sat in our little bubble.

"You know at some point, we may need to reconsider our living arrangements."

I looked up at Edward. "Do you have any suggestions?"

"You've never seen my flat."

"Why is that?"

I felt rather than saw Edward shrug his shoulders. "Your house is closer to the hospital, as well as Mom and Dad's."

"Where do you live?"

"Henderson."

"What's your house like?"

I'd always wondered what Edward's house was like. Esme had mentioned it a few times, but even she seldom visited it. Apparently calling his home phone was a waste of time, even before he started spending all his free time here.

"Nothing flash. It's pretty empty. I had flat mates for about a year, but they both left and I just couldn't be bothered posting on TradeMe for new flatties. It's not like I can't afford it, so it's been pretty empty for about six months."

I rolled my eyes. Such a basic answer. I wanted to know how many rooms. What did his kitchen look like? Did he have a fireplace? A yard?

"And?"

"And what? It was the first thing I bought myself. Renting out the rooms made it a lot easier to chip away at the mortgage, so has the income I get from _'The Point_ '. It'll actually be paid off soon. I've probably got enough put away to pay it off, but everyone needs a rainy day fund."

"I actually wanted to know about what it looked like. Do you want us to move in with you?"

"I don't want to live there permanently, Bella. I know that for a fact. I like being more centrally located."

Okay. "Did you wanna live with me?"

I wasn't surprised when he laughed. "Bella, I practically live with you now. I love it. I really wouldn't mind staying with you at the apartment."

"What about long term?"

"I guess it's not a permanent, raise babies type of accommodation." He responded quickly, toying with the ends of my hair. "Were you thinking about renting or buying?"

I had actually looked into the prices of both renting and buying. Point Chev was expensive either way. The price of rent was the size of a mortgage.

"I've looked into renting before. It'll be hard for us with Topaz now." I scratched her behind the ears as she looked up when I called her name. "Do you think we could buy?"

Edward paused for a moment. He seemed to be weighing the options.

"I don't see why not, Bella. I've got _The Point_ and my house as equity, and some solid savings."

"I've got some money too, I'm thinking less than you, but it's actually a trust fund. It was going to be used for Jake's and my wedding, and then Charlie and Phil took over. It's actually from Phil, I haven't touched it."

Edward nudged me in the side. When I looked up at his face, he was smirking. "You're a trust fund kid."

I elbowed him in the side making him groan. "I have a trust fund, but I'm not one of those trust fund kids you see on TV. I haven't even touched it. I was told there was enough to pay for school and have the wedding of my dreams. That's all I know."

"How'd you finish uni if you didn't touch it?"

"Scholarships mostly." I shrugged. "I was a good student, and I didn't want to have to ask either of my parents for help. The loans I took out were pretty small compared to some people I know, but they're paid off too."

"Huh, that's kind of cool. I received scholarships too, and my grandfather left money for us to go to attend uni. It didn't cover it, but it made medical school easier."

"We digress." I added quickly, sticking my tongue out, only to earn a laugh from him.

"We do."

"So, we're going to look to buy?" I nodded my head in agreement before resting it back on Edward's shoulder.

Our cute walk into the park had turned into a discussion about our living arrangements. It was going to be sad when I said goodbye to my little apartment, but I knew it would be a while before we actually moved in somewhere.

It was going to be nice to be involved in finding a home for a change. I didn't really have that when I was looking for an apartment in Seattle, that had all been Renee's doing.

The one thing we still hadn't properly discussed at this point was how we'd tell our family about our engagement.

Though I imagine that was probably going to be an easy conversation.

I quickly finished the coffees that I was working on, wiping off the milk from the nozzle as I purged it. Jasper had been teaching me how to use the espresso machine and he seemed to think I was plenty capable. I guess my abilities in the kitchen were transferable.

"I still don't see why we needed a family meeting." I said to Edward, placing the last coffee on the kitchen island.

We, meaning Edward had cleared out the kitchen staff so we could have a meeting. There weren't any functions going on though, so it's not like they were needed, anyway. The perks I guess of casual employment.

"Seemed like the easiest way to tell everyone." I watched Edward as he pulled a box of donuts from the fridge and set them down in the middle of the counter.

"Did it really need an announcement?"

Edward quickly crossed the room, wrapping his arms around my waist and pulling me into his chest. He peppered kisses along my shoulder, pausing behind my ear and taking a deep breath.

"We're not announcing anything, really. I thought we were discussing Thanksgiving." There was smugness in his voice that had me shaking my head at him.

"There's no way I can sit in a room with Rose, Esme and Alice and have no one notice the huge rock on my finger."

"Well then it'll be one less topic of discussion over Thanksgiving dinner."

I elbowed him in the chest, turning around to cast a glare at him.

"Be serious Edward. You know it'll come up! They'll ask how you proposed, when we plan on getting married, where we plan on living."

"Whoa." Edward grabbed me around the waist, wrapping arms around my middle and just holding me still. "Settle down, Bella. I don't know why you're so worked up. It's my family. They've been unobservant, sure, but they're going to be happy for us. Bella, you're not second guessing this are you?"

"What!" I don't know how I hadn't noticed his grip tightening around me. "No, Edward, no. Of course I want this. God, I just don't like the idea of a fanfare." I wrapped my arms around his, lacing my fingers with his. Leaning back, I rested my head on his shoulder.

"You know how much I want this, Edward."

"Then don't you think it's time we shared our news?"

Really, I didn't have a good argument as to why we couldn't, or shouldn't. Maybe there was still a latent part of me that was still reeling from Jacob.

He'd jumped at the chance to tell everyone, and well, look how well that panned out.

That engagement was expected too.

Damn, with a mental slap to my forehead I saw what I was doing.

"You're not Jacob." I whispered, surrendering myself as I practically slumped into Edward.

"I'm not, Bella. I really don't want to pay for his sins either."

I turned to look up at his face. He didn't look upset, or angry, there was such tenderness in his expression I felt the pressing need to cry.

"You're such a beautiful person."

We, or perhaps it was just me, were so ensconced in our bubble, I didn't notice the family entering the kitchen.

"I think I'm gonna be sick."

Edward growled, letting me go. "Assfuck." He spat at his brother, just as Alice dragged Jasper into the room followed by Rosalie.

She was only too quick to shove her husband in the chest before reaching for her hot chocolate. I'd remembered to put everyone's names on their coffees. Jasper had forgotten once and as a result I had been stuck drinking Alice's specialty coffee, it was fifty shades of sugar and syrup and Emmett wore it. Hysterically. Because I spat it out...at him.

"Excuse the man-child."

Alice was quick to fetch her coffee and Jasper's before sitting herself down at the counter.

"Where's Mum and Dad?" Edward asked, his arms still wrapped around me, his chin resting against my shoulder.

"We're here, we're here. We stopped to get pies." Esme was carrying a couple of McDonald's bags, filled with what I could only assume were Georgie Pies.

Apparently they were their own franchise in New Zealand once upon a time. They went under and many years later McDonald's bought it, and they were amazing. The steak and cheese pies, Charlie would love them!

I needed to make sure I took Charlie when he came to visit. I'd have Edward remind me when they arrived next week.

"You just happened to buy enough pies for all of us?" Because that was a thing.

"Well I wanted one, but I didn't feel like sharing. Figured I'd get enough for everyone so I wouldn't have to. I remember hearing once they could only cook so many at a time, so I had to stop at New Lynn and Point Chev to be fair."

"Ma, you're the best!" Emmett cheered, kissing her cheek and reaching for a pie.

Rose didn't seem all that interested in the pie, and I watched her grab a donut instead, biting into it quickly.

"Remember that."

I couldn't help but laugh at Esme's smart mouth. They were all giving each other hell, and I enjoyed it.

"Sharing is caring, Love." Carlisle said kindly to his wife, kissing her on the cheek.

"Don't pull that with me, Carlisle." She pulled away from his embrace, pulling her own pie from the bag and tossing the rest on the counter. "I shared my body with these kids."

Carlisle was clearly a brilliant man as he didn't engage her, but simply handed his wife her coffee before taking a sip of his own.

"Moving on," Jasper announced, "you two called this family get together. What's up?"

"Well, we figured we should have a chat about Thanksgiving." I shrugged, even to me that sounded like a lame excuse.

"Good idea, Bella. Hold on." Alice quickly ducked out of the room and returned moments later with a binder. "So I've been googling recipes online so I know what kind of ingredients to buy. Here's my checklist."

Whoa. In front of me was probably the most comprehensive Thanksgiving shopping list I'd ever seen. There were items on here I had either forgotten about or had never gotten enough of every year.

"This is everything I ordered. Will a thirty pound turkey enough?"

Holy Jebus!

"You ordered thirty-pounds of turkey, you know that's over 13 kilos right?"

"I was erring on the side of caution. It seemed like the right thing to do." She wasn't even fazed in the least.

Then again, she didn't know how long turkey had to cook, or how long it takes to prepare and cook sides. Alice could probably burn water.

Well, I guess I was getting up very early Thanksgiving morning.

I hope jet lag didn't 'kick Sue's ass like it had mine.

"Wow." Edward acknowledged looking over my shoulder. "This list is massive. If it helps, I'm sure we could bring in one of the casual cooks to help."

"Don't need them. Trust me." Edward didn't look the least bit convinced, but he wouldn't push it.

"Bella, can I help with desserts?" I turned to look at Esme, and she continued. "I figured you probably have the desserts sorted, but we have one's that we make too. I was hoping I could make a Pavlova and Bannoffee, I'd love to whip up a trifle too."

"Of course you can, Esme. I'd love to try more desserts. There's a chance we could be having more Thanksgivings here. It'll be nice to Cullen it up a little."

"More like kiwi it up, Baby."

The room kind of fell into a lull of silence as everyone sipped their coffees and ate their food until Rose broke it.

"Well, I'm going to state the obvious then, seeing as no one else will. Bella's pregnant."

Whoa, whoa. What? That was most unexpected. What the hell was with Rose and Em assuming I was knocked up!

"I'm not. We're not." I defended, Edward doing the same in stereo. "We want kids, but I'm not pregnant."

"Are you sure?" I felt uncomfortable with the way Rosalie was sizing me up.

Given I had just finished my period before we had to hop a plane and fly to Forks, I was pretty certain I was not pregnant. It also wasn't light, or spotty. It was heavy and painful, and I definitely hadn't confused a light flow with pregnancy spotting.

"Yeah. One hundred per cent certain." I could feel Edward nodding his head against my shoulder.

We may have been trying, but we both knew I wasn't pregnant. We weren't deflated by how non-pregnant I was, we were looking forward to more practice making babies.

"Then why the hell are we here?" Rose could be grumpy when she wasn't pregnant, now that she was, she was too quick and too easy to rile.

"We wanted to talk about Thanksgiving with you all?"

Jasper barked out a laugh. "Bella, we've seen it on TV enough to catch the gist of everything, what's there to talk about?"

"You also can't lie to save yourself." Emmett added.

"He's right there, Bella." Carlisle added with a shrug of his shoulders.

Esme was nodding her head. "Your whole chest flushes red, as well as the tops of your ears."

"What the hell?" Why were they turning this on me? "Fine, we also figured we'd tell you about our engagement."

"Come again?"

I held my hand out to Esme as Edward kissed me behind my ear.

"Damn, son, you have good taste." Esme held me my hand in hers, gently running her finger along the stone. "That thing is massive."

"It's white topaz." I answered, just as my hand was tugged from Esme's into Alice's.

The men weren't interested in the ring. They were congratulating us and giving Edward man hugs. Carlisle kissed my cheek, followed by Emmett and Jasper.

I felt like I was being pulled in two different directions because the women were still fawning over my ring.

"When did'ya do it Edward?" Emmett asked, and I finally felt my hand being released so I quickly pulled it back, keeping my hands close to my chest.

I looked up at Edward, biting my lip a little. It wasn't the most romantic proposal in the world, but I loved it.

"The morning we got back from Seattle."

Esme grew wide eyed, like she was expecting a beautifully thought out proposal. Yeah, my proposal was not the most romantic in the world, but it was entirely us. We were really good at having serious, life altering conversations when were somewhat out of our minds.

"Well, Edward you better take this one."

He gave me a squeeze before sighing.

"Well, when we were in the States, I asked Charlie for Bella's hand and he gave me his blessing. Very quickly too, I might add. Charlie even took me to Seattle so we could go ring shopping. Bella was not expecting a proposal at all. She was so wound up though; she thought I'd had enough of her when I proposed."

"I was deliriously tired." I interjected, gaining a laugh from everyone. "Jetlag's real name is Satan, I tell you."

"Anyway." Edward shot me a look. "Bella and I were just chatting, and I asked her to wait for a moment so I could grab her ring. When I got back, she'd worked herself up a bit; I'm not very good at story telling you see? Then, on one knee I asked her to marry me... She didn't say yes."

"What?!" Everyone winced at Alice's outrage.

"Because she was so worked up. She couldn't say a whole lot of anything through her tears."

"That's better." Jasper was running his hands up and down Alice's arms, settling her down a bit.

"After a couple of minutes, I got a verbal answer from her and here we are."

I looked around at all the faces in the room and they just smiled. They weren't displeased, they seemed almost expectant. Like they had expected a slightly out of the norm proposal between us.

Our coupling hasn't exactly been A-typical, why would our proposal be?

"And then I promptly passed out." I felt the need to add as everyone looked at us. "You can't really blame me though, it's a sixteen hour flight from Seattle to Auckland and with the time difference it felt like we lost two whole days."

What became of the morning after, well, that was staying between Edward and me.

"You two are so weird, but so made for each other." Alice pushed away from the table, and disappeared again, this time to the walk-in refrigerator. I'd never been in there before so I didn't know what else was in there either.

"This means it's time for a celebration." Alice was cheering as she returned brandishing a couple of bottles of champagne. "Jazz, glasses."

Jasper was up in a flash pulling champagne flutes down.

"Alice, it's breakfast time." Alice rolled her eyes at her mom.

"Baby, get the orange juice as well."

I couldn't help but laugh at that one. Very quickly, Alice and Jasper were pouring us all mimosas. Rose was allowed one, but no more than that.

I guess we were starting our morning off the right way.

* * *

 **Once again, I'd love to hear your thoughts!**


	8. Chapter 8

**EdwardsFirstKiss saves the day again with her amazing red pen and friendly advice.**

* * *

I punched Edward in the arm as he made another nervous pass in front of me. "Cut it out. Jesus, I don't know why you're so nervous!"

Charlie knew long before I did that Edward was going to propose. He was with Edward when he bought the ring!

"Now that he's coming here, it feels like I'm stealing his girl." He shrugged, making me roll my eyes.

I had to take a deep breath to stop myself from saying something that would unnerve him even more than he already was.

"You know my dad. You _love_ my dad. Why on earth are you worried about that now?"

"Because he can actually hurt me now that he's on this side of the globe!"

I couldn't help but roll my eyes this time.

"That's some really flawed logic, Babe. You worry too much. Dad likes you a hell of a lot more than he ever liked Jacob."

He was still freaking out, wearing tracks in the floor.

"Oh my god, Edward. Why're you being so much hard work today? Stop pacing, come on, and let's head over to the arrivals." I grabbed Edward by the hand, forcing him to look up at the arrival screen. "While you've been pacing like a caged animal, they landed."

My man had issues. Serious issues. We were on his home turf!

I certainly understood why he'd have been worried when we flew back to my dad, but dad was coming here this time. He couldn't carry. Well, not legally anyway, and I doubt my father was into breaking federal law.

I was growing more frustrated with the way Edward was dragging his heels. He was behaving very suspiciously. He wasn't normal on his best day, but I knew what his normal was and this certainly wasn't it.

I dragged Edward behind me as I headed to the arrival gate. Knowing Charlie, I didn't think we'd have to wait long before he was through customs. As soon as I'd snagged a decent vantage point, Edward took off to the cafe. He decided we had to have coffee and it was his duty to buy it.

My shifty fiancé was seriously cruising for a bruising. What the hell was his problem?

"Bella!" I knew Charlie would be out early, but I didn't think he'd be the first one out the gate. I won't lie though, I'd never been happier to see my father.

"Dad!" I ran to my father and was caught up in the biggest hug he'd ever given me in my life.

Maybe the affection I'd picked up living with the Cullen's had rubbed off on him. He had seemed to notice the way Edward and I were towards each other.

"I missed you Bells, I really did." He breathed into my hair before giving me one last squeeze before letting go.

"Me too Dad, I'm so happy to see you." I stepped back just as Sue caught up a little puffed.

"Bella, Hi!" She gave me a quick hug before stepping back. She looked around a little and then I remembered that Edward was off buying coffee.

"He's gone to get coffee, he didn't think you guys would get-,"

"I'm here, I bought everyone coffee." Edward cut in, looking entirely too proud of himself.

He was holding a couple of brown paper bags and a tray of coffees. He'd learned how Charlie and Sue preferred their coffee, so I hoped he remembered my father's preference for diesel and Sue's love for vanilla lattes.

I shook my head at Edward; he'd turned back into my loving fiancé again.

"Dick."

"What was that Bells?" Charlie asked, making me blush a little. I forgot how Super Saiyan his hearing could be.

"Ugh. Nothing, don't worry. I stubbed my toe."

He didn't believe me for a second, but after a cursory glance down at my unobstructed path and then back up my face, he simply smirked before wrapping his arm around Sue's shoulder. She was happily sipping on her Latte with a massive smile on her face.

"I don't know what's different about how they make coffee here, but these taste amazing. Thanks, Edward."

Edward looked chuffed, as he smiled at Sue.

'Suck up' I wanted to cough, but weird as Edward was being I didn't want to draw any attention to him.

Any issues he had having with Charlie here he was going to have bring up sooner or later, or I was going to Esme to get them out of him. I can only deal with space head Edward for very short amounts of time before he gets too weird.

Yeah, I felt juvenile going to his mother to sort him out, but desperate times called for desperate measures.

The drive home was short, we'd skipped work traffic going in both directions so it only took about twenty minutes to get home from the airport. I think Edward was happy Charlie and Sue opted to sit in the back seat because then he didn't have to worry so much about his lead foot.

Sue and Charlie looked a little too dazed to notice how fast we were driving though. Charlie spent a long time trying to wrap his head around the fact that we drove on the other side of the road, and the cars were right-hand drive too. I was half tempted to ask Alice if she'd take Charlie for a spin in her little Mazda. He'd get a real kick out of driving a stick on the wrong side of the road.

It was a little after eleven when we got back to _The Point,_ and everyone had managed to work half days so we could have brunch with Dad and Sue. We knew they would be tired, so their room was waiting for them, Esme just wanted to make sure they were fed before letting them go off to sleep.

Sue was determined she could stay awake though and try to adjust to the time zone, but I wasn't holding my breath.

When Edward pulled the car up, I wasn't the least bit surprised to see Emmett sitting on the porch steps with a cup of coffee in his hands. I couldn't tell how long he'd been waiting, but knowing Emmett I wouldn't have been surprised if he'd found his perch the moment we'd pulled out of the driveway.

I noticed him stick his head through the front door, and I'm assuming he bellowed to the rest of the family because by the time Edward had the car in park, the Cullen Clan were filling out the front door.

"Wow." I heard Sue mutter.

Peering over my shoulder, I saw her eyeing everyone up. I could certainly see where she was coming from, each and every one of them were gorgeous. Rose and Jasper with their fine features and glowing tans. Alice with her small stature, but well defined muscle tone, her crazy blue green eyes peering up at you from high cheek bones. Emmett was a sight to behold for his size alone, but the gentle giant was built like a brick shit house, will his full sleeve Moko branching across his chest and back too. Carlisle and Esme were like Brad and Angie. Just too damn good looking for words.

Just as I was about to get out of the car, I watched Edward take a deep breath as if he were steeling himself for something, but I couldn't figure out what…and then the pieces all clicked together.

Emmett. His family. He'd met Sue and Charlie. He'd seen how reserved my family was, and he was only now introducing my family to his. They were day and night, in every sense of the word.

Whereas the Cullen's were loud and proud, and very in your face with their blunt truths; Charlie and Sue were hardened by life, and reserved with their words; they were observers who spoke only when they felt what they needed to say that would benefit a situation.

Edward's fears were stupid and entirely unwarranted, but very cute at the same time. He really had nothing to worry about, but I don't think he'd believe me if I told him that.

"Edward?" I said, grabbing his attention.

My eyes met his, as he raised his eyebrows as if to say 'yeah?

"Stop freaking out." I offered with a smile, stepping down from his SUV. Charlie and Sue had both shuffled out the drivers' side rear door which was nearer to the front entrance, placing them very rapidly in the firing line. I rushed around quickly after popping the boot for them.

I could see Esme eyeing Edward, waiting for him to make introductions. Of course introductions for this family meant hariru, so Charlie was going to have to step out of his comfort zone for two minutes. Handshakes just weren't going to cut it with this lot.

"Charlie, this is my Mom, Esme and my Dad, Carlisle." Edward said quickly, as Esme quickly stepped forward pulling Charlie into an embrace before kissing his cheek. She held on a little longer giving him an extra squeeze I assumed.

When Esme moved away from Charlie and pulled Sue into her arms, I caught a quick glimpse of Charlie's face and I couldn't hold in my laughter. His cheeks were practically crimson, but the Cullen's paid no attention to him as they each hugged and kissed both he and Sue, while the men gave him a hongi.

After every one had greeted Charlie, the boys grabbed the bags from the boot and took them into one of the suites, while the women headed into the kitchen to prepare pastries and fruit for Charlie and Sue. I wasn't sure if they were napping or not, but I figured it would do them good to eat something.

I hated losing almost two days when I'd returned from Forks, I could only imagine how Charlie and Sue were feeling.

Although they both worked shifts, so maybe the time zone change wouldn't get to them the same way it had for me.

"I'll show them to their rooms, Bub." Emmett offered as he passed, carrying Charlie's one and only suitcase.

"Yeah, B, we can do this much. We'll let them know that kai will be ready by the time they're settled in." Jasper was carrying what I was assuming was Sue's luggage, as he daintily carried her purse over his shoulder and proudly wheeled a bright red, hard-cased suitcase behind him. I recognized it from the set that Seth and I'd bought for her a few years ago as a Christmas present.

It was just Edward and me left standing in the foyer. He looked relieved, as though he'd assumed the worst was over.

He must have been too caught up in his own relief, that he didn't see me coming until I punched him. Hard. In the chest.

"Ow! Fuck, Bella!" he cried, rubbing at his chest. "What the hell?"

I glared at him. "Don't even start with that! What the hell was with you at the airport and now you're the perfect boyfriend again?"

"Fiancé." I hit him again.

"Now is not the time to start arguing semantics Edward. Is that what you want me to expect every single time Charlie comes to visit, or we go to visit him? That shit got old _fast._ I don't have the patience to sit on tenterhooks if that is the case, Edward. He's my Dad, he _loves_ you for you, and most of all he loves _you_ for _me_. My Dad doesn't like anyone, least of all, anyone for me, but without even meeting you properly he was team Edward. Sort your—"

I didn't get the chance to finish my rant. Edward didn't let me. His lips crashed down on mine with more force than I think either of us was prepared for, as our teeth clattered together.

I couldn't even think about why I wanted to punch him anymore. Like he'd always been able to, his masculine scent, firm muscles, and my constant and overwhelming need for him always seemed to distract me.

"Any. One. Can. Walk. In." I breathed out, as Edward pulled away long enough so I could suck air into my lungs. His lips didn't go far; they peppered kisses down my neck and across my shoulder. Nibbling gently as he sucked across my collarbone.

"Mmhmm." He muttered, his lips kissing their way back up to mine. "Don't care."

I also couldn't really remember why I should care as Edward spun us around, pushing my back up against the wall. He trapped me with his body, his fingers interlocking with mine as he held them above my head.

Overwhelmed didn't even begin to explain the way Edward made me feel. He had the ability to entirely overwhelm my senses. It'd be an issue, if I knew it didn't go both ways. A fact that Esme had pointed out to me.

"Edward!" A high-pitched, Alice called out as I felt Edward being pulled away from me.

"You two are terrible! God, I thought Rose and Emmett were bad, but Christ. Edward, go help Mum, Bella, in my office." I had to shake my head to clear my Edward induced haze.

"What the hell, Alice? Who are you, my keeper?" Edward argued.

"I'm not asking Edward." I'd never heard Alice so serious, it was strange. Even Edward seemed a bit taken aback.

I glanced at Edward, and noticed the confusion written on his face.

"Go help your Mom." I offered. He looked like he didn't want to, but he shrugged it off, kissed my knuckles and headed toward the kitchen.

"You and I need to have a word." Alice said cheekily as she grabbed my hand and dragged me behind her, into her office.

Unlike Edward's office, Alice's was a clutter of knick knacks, Maori prints and filing systems. She had her own order throughout, but because she didn't label anything no one other than Alice could really figure anything out.

I'd seen Edward come into her office a couple of times looking for invoices or payroll, only to watch him leave soon after defeated. Nothing bothered Edward more than defeat.

"Take a seat." Alice said as she pointed to the chair opposite hers. She waited until I was seated before she pulled the door shut behind us, and settled herself down into her own seat.

"Well this is formal, Alice. Why're you being weird?"

She shrugged. "Why're you hiding the fact that you're pregnant?"

If I had been drinking something, she'd be wearing it.

"A month ago, you guys were saying the same thing. We're not pregnant!" I insisted. "We are so far from pregnant, it's not funny."

"Stop lying, Bella. You're so pregnant."

"Right… did your grandmother tell you again?"

Alice laughed out loud. "Don't be dumb, Bella, it's nothing like that. I just noticed that you look different."

"Wow, this conversation is going so well, Alice. Now you're calling me fat."

"Shut up, Bella. It's nothing like that. I just noticed that you look different is all. _Not_ fat. You look happy, even when Edward's being weird, but you're also more irritable too, which does sound weird. You stopped eating fry bread, but you've started eating kina—which you _hate._ Your coffee preference has changed too, and you're either a second away from jumping Edward, or throttling him."

"Naturally that means I'm pregnant." I said sarcastically.

People changed food preferences all the time, it was normal. I hated bell peppers too until I was sixteen and had them stuffed at a restaurant once on a date and liked them.

She rolled her eyes at my sarcasm, but shrugged her shoulders and quickly opened her top drawer. She grabbed a drugstore bag out of the top drawer and pushed it toward me. "If you're so adamant that you're not, why don't you take a test?"

"You're not serious?" I asked, though I already knew the answer.

She looked at me with raised eyebrows, but I could tell she wasn't going to back off.

"I'll take the damn test, but the results stay with me." She didn't argue, she simply smirked at me. I could still feel her eyes on me as I left her office.

I couldn't believe I was doing this. I wasn't pregnant, I couldn't be. Well, I mean I could be, but it was highly unlikely.

I headed up the stairs to my room. Topaz was quick to greet me, as she touched her nose to my fingers as I let myself in. Her excitement faded quickly and then she settled back down on her bed.

I headed into my bathroom, eyes rolling all the while as I read the instructions on the back of the box. It'd take me three minutes before I could prove Alice wrong. It'd be a long three minutes, but I could handle it.

"Alice has issues." I said aloud as Topaz walked into the bathroom after me. She looked up at me as if to say 'You're realizing that now', making me laugh.

I guess Topaz knew all about Alice's crazy. She had spent time with her when Edward and I were in Forks. She'd missed us too, if our reception was anything to go by, maybe it was because she was scarred by Alice's over enthusiasm.

She could be a bit much, and the way she felt towards Topaz was a bit much for anyone.

"So you're going to sit there and watch me pee on a stick?" I asked aloud to Topaz. She yipped, before sitting herself down on the bath mat.

"I'll take that as a yes."

I quickly read over the instructions on the back of the packet. Nothing too crazy, though it did recommend squatting, but I wasn't going to do that. I was happy no one was with me to witness the lunacy.

What was with the Cullen women assuming I was pregnant all the time?

Once I was done, I capped the pregnancy test. It reminded me a little of an oversized popsicle stick, but it had an electric display on the front that was currently displaying nothing.

The timer I'd set on my phone had just the chance to go off, when my phone started ringing. I saw Edward's name flash up on the screen, and quickly answered it.

"Kia ora." I greeted, with a smile. I hated the way my voice echoed in the bathroom so I clicked my fingers, as I left my bathroom pulling the door shut behind me. Topaz licked them as I sat down on the edge of my bed.

"Where'd you disappear to, Baby?" His voice was smooth, sultry. He wanted to pick up from where we left off downstairs.

"Alice dragged me into her office for a second, but I'm upstairs now. I had to check on Topaz, so I'm in the apartment."

"If your Dad and Sue weren't here, I would be joining you." Edward said lowly, before sighing loudly. "But Sue and Charlie decided to come down for their lunch instead. Do you think you could come down and join us? Bring Topaz?"

I quickly got up and grabbed Topaz's lead. "Sure, we'll be down soon." I said before ending the call and clipping Topaz's lead to her collar.

"Let's go see Daddy." Topaz barked in response. There were two things she loved: her lead and her Daddy. I may have fed her, but Edward spoiled her rotten with affection.

By the time I made it down to the kitchen I could hear everyone chatting and getting to know each other. Sue was actually regaling everyone with stories about Charlie, and how he felt when he returned home only to find me on the other side of the world.

Carlisle and Esme were chiming in when I entered the kitchen and all conversation stopped as soon as Sue saw Topaz.

"Wow, Bella, is that Topaz?" Before I could answer her, she dropped down to her knees and was scratching my baby behind her ears and telling her how gorgeous she was.

I dropped her lead to give Sue a chance to spoil her, and moved over to give Charlie another hug. I loved that he'd grown more affectionate, and wasn't shy displaying it now.

"She's a pretty little thing, isn't she?" Charlie smiled as he gave me another squeeze.

"Smart too, she absolutely loves Ed—," I didn't even get the chance to finish as Topaz finally noticed Edward. I'd never seen her move so quickly, as she jumped to her feet and cleared the distance between herself and Edward in less than a second. She didn't jump up at him or anything like that, instead she ran around in circles at his feet doing a cross between a cry and a whine, as she waited for him to pet her.

Charlie chuckled. "Wow, she loves that man of yours doesn't she?" Though he'd stated it like a question, it wasn't, it was a statement of fact.

"She really does." I took a seat next to Charlie, and after a couple of minutes Topaz finally settled down enough so Edward could take his seat next to me.

Alice quickly sat coffees down in front of everyone, and soon thereafter we started sharing the food around. I loved how well Charlie and Sue fit in with everyone as conversation went back and forth without any issues.

Charlie laughed at Emmett's jokes, had no trouble joining Carlisle as he goaded his youngest, and Sue adored Esme.

I'd always heard about these picturesque extended families, but I hadn't ever really been a part of one. Renee was too flakey to be counted on for much, even when she was my sole caregiver. When I was staying with her, I could never see this kind of image of my future, but now that I have it, it's like this pretty picture I'd always considered out of reach until now.

I'd completely zoned out when I felt Edward wrap his arms around me, and pull me back into his chest. I was quickly enveloped in his scent, loving the warmth and comfort he always seemed to carry with him.

"I'm sorry about earlier, B. I was being a dick." he whispered into my hair, as he wrapped his arms around my waist. He leaned down so his chin rested on my shoulder.

I turned my head, pecking him quickly on his lips.

"Don't do it again." My voice was stern, serious. I'd kick his ass if he did that again.

"Wanna know a secret?"

I nodded my head, trying not to laugh at the way his day old scruff tickled my cheek.

"Alice is pregnant."

My eyes widened immediately as I glanced over at Alice. She was talking to Charlie as she sipped on her coffee.

That would explain why she was so goddamned insistent that I was pregnant! She was pregnant.

"How'd you find out?"

What had I missed?

"I found this on our bathroom sink." He didn't get the chance to continue as I spun around quickly, reaching for the pregnancy test he was trying to keep hidden from the eyes of everyone else in the kitchen.

When had he gone upstairs?

With my back to everyone I grabbed the test from him. He was right. The screen on the front very obviously said 'Pregnant',

I wanted to say it wasn't Alice's, but I couldn't find my voice.

I couldn't say anything.

I couldn't see anything.

And then there was nothing.

My head was killing me, but I was more concerned about the repulsive scent wafting into my nose. It was so terrible it made my stomach turn, and my eyes water.

"Stop." I found myself, as I batted something away from my under my nose.

"Boy, you were supposed to look after my baby girl, I mean you're a doctor for Heaven's sake!"

Why was Charlie yelling at Edward?

"I'm an Obstetrician, I specialize in delivering babies."

"Charlie, leave _Edward_ alone."

I had to blink my eyes a few times to adjust to the floor lamp someone had rotated so it was beaming down on my face.

"Move the light." I said, fighting my hand free from someone's grip so I could cover my eyes. No sooner had I managed that did someone turn the light away from my face.

"Bella, look at me." I turned to see Carlisle holding a pen light; he shone it in each eye a couple of times, "how many fingers?" I wanted to roll my eyes at him, but instead I chose to answer.

"Three." He nodded his head.

"What's your date of birth?" I rolled my eyes.

"September Thirteenth."

"Can you remember the last time you ate something Bella?'

I nodded my head. "I ate this morning before we headed out to the airport and I had some of Edward's custard on the way back too."

Carlisle seemed okay with that answer as he stepped back, giving a frantic Edward and Topaz space to join me on the floor. His hands were gentle as he reached for me, pulling me into his chest as he hugged me tightly to him.

Topaz must have been worried too as I felt her patting my thigh.

"If you wanted to get me back for earlier today, Bella, you've just done that and about shaved ten years off my life." Edward breathed into my hair.

I squeezed myself to Edward, still trying to wrap my head around everything. We were pregnant. We wanted a baby, we were trying too, but I don't think either of us expected for us to get pregnant this early.

"I'm sorry." I added, not really sure what the correct response would be. I was overwhelmed I guess? I didn't believe a word of what Alice had been saying about me looking differently, but maybe I should have. "Dad, don't blame Edward. I'm fine."

I had a feeling there was no saving Edward from Charlie's temporary wrath, but it would be fine. Charlie's affections for Edward wouldn't be entirely frayed because I fainted. He was piss and vinegar from extensive travels that much I was sure of, and probably from meeting so many new people too. Sometimes he could be like a small child when it came to meeting new people—he was overwhelmed easily.

"That boy was supposed to be looking after you Bella, I'm sorry but your fainting doesn't seem like looking out for you in my books." I rolled my eyes at my dad.

"Trust me Dad, he is. You know I'm clumsy!"

"Bells, I've never seen you faint a day in your life. Are you trying to give your old man a heart attack?"

I narrowed my eyes, turning to my father to glare at him. "Don't even joke about that Dad. It's too soon—way too soon."

Chastened, Charlie rubbed at the back of his neck before kneeling down next to me. "I'm sorry Baby Girl, you just really worried your old man. I'm glad you're okay though—she's okay, right, Carlisle?"

I turned to look at Carlisle myself. "At cursory glance everything appears normal. The only way I could rule everything out is a blood—,"

"Nope. No way. Not happening, I'm fine." I jumped in. Not a blood test. I didn't need Carlisle to find out we were pregnant before I had the chance to tell Edward.

"Bells, I really think—" I narrowed my eyes at Charlie once more. I so did not want him pushing this issue. I knew if he pushed it enough, Edward would step in and insist.

"Carlisle, do you think a blood test is necessary?" I asked very pointedly.

"Medically speaking, no. Fainting, or syncope really isn't that uncommon. Standing up too fast can cause fainting spells. So long as this is a one off, and you're not lying in that regard, I don't see the need for a blood test."

I couldn't help but heave a massive sigh of relief at his admission. I could see that Charlie wasn't particularly impressed, but I was. Carlisle knew his shit, and that was probably the only reason that Charlie wasn't pushing the issue further.

Now, I just need to get away from the rest of the family…

"Hey, I know it's early, but is it okay if I go upstairs and lay down for a bit?" Edward shot up to his feet quicker than I think I've ever seen him move and gave me a hand up.

"Maybe you're tired, B." Edward admitted once he'd pulled me up to my feet, and I just nodded.

"Maybe I didn't get as much sleep as I should have. I was too excited to see Sue and Dad."

We shuffled out of the kitchen, Edward clicking his fingers as Topaz followed closely on my heels. She was still a little worried and had practically glued herself to my side. Every other step she took was on my feet, but I didn't really mind. She'd settle quickly enough when we got up to the flat.

I headed straight for my room when we got inside, Topaz soon let up and trotted over to her food bowl and started munching on what was left of her kibble.

When I got to my bed, I sat down on the edge and just waited with my hands in my lap. True to form, moments later Edward was at my side.

"Baby?" He sounded a little weary as he looked at me, waiting for me to say or do something.

Now that we were here and it was just us, I didn't know what to say. I needed to tell him though before he went around and told the rest of the family that Alice was pregnant.

"That pregnancy test wasn't Alice's." I found myself blurting out.

Edward's eyes widened. "Wait, are you telling me it's Mum's?"

I hit him, confused at how quickly his mind jumped to Esme. Even I knew she'd had her tubes tied after Alice.

"You're not getting a sibling, Edward. You're going to be a Dad."

"I mean, I'll be old enough to be the kid's father! That's just weird, and what happens when we have kids Baby? They'll have to call my infant sibling Aunty or Uncle. I—I don't think I can handle another sibling. It's taken us years, _years,_ Bella to finally like each other."

And he was rambling.

I turned toward him, shoving him in the chest.

"You're not getting another sibling. We're," I grabbed his hand, placing it on my still flat stomach. "You and I, are having a baby. That test that you found was mine, is mine."

I rarely ever saw Edward at a loss for words, but he wasn't speaking, wasn't moving. I was questioning a little if he was even breathing. That was until his shoulders started shaking as he turned to me with tears in his eyes.

"Baby?" he questioned, looking down at my tummy. I nodded my head.

"We're having a baby Edward." He kept looking between my stomach and my face for confirmation, and he must have finally seen something as the tears started falling from his eyes.

"A dad, I'm going to be a dad."

I smiled at him through my own tear-clouded vision. "We're going to be parents."

I hated doctors. Not Edward, or Carlisle, just any doctor that I needed to see for any particular reason. Like right now. Nothing felt quite as uncomfortable as sitting on a paper covered vinyl exam table with stirrups attached.

We'd done the weighing, blood testing, nurse ratchet part of my checkup and I was waiting for the doctor to confirm my pregnancy. Edward told me it was going to be uncomfortable, and may include a pelvic exam. He tried to soften that blow by reminding me we'd have a vaginal ultrasound if they thought I was far enough along, but it didn't really help to make me feel better.

"Stop moving, Bella." Edward insisted as he sat next to me. He'd mentioned as soon as I'd sat down how much he hated the sound of paper crunching. Naturally, I wanted to rile him up. "Really, Bella?"

I smiled wide, as he just looked at me with an exasperated expression.

"I'm bored and I need to pee."

"I'm anxious and freaking out, Bella. We both clearly have issues right now, but could you so kindly not poke at mine." It was rare when Edward was pissy, so I was on edge quickly.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing." He said far too quickly.

I sat up a little more, the paper making a loud crackle with the movement. It wasn't even intentional this time. "You're lying. Tell me."

His green eyes were narrowed at me as he just looked at me. The answer clearly wasn't as obvious as he seemed to think it was because I was drawing a blank.

"Your father is going to kill me." I rolled my eyes.

"Is that all? Again with the _'your dad is going to kill me'_ crap." I sighed, reaching for his hand. I was half tempted to tell Charlie to threaten Edward just so he could get past this. "Charlie loves you, Edward. He gave you permission to marry me, that' has to count for something!"

I was shocked to hear Edward bark out a laugh. "Bella, that was before I got you pregnant. _Pregnant_ Bella. You're his only daughter, and we're expecting a baby before you've even walked down the aisle!" He leaned his elbows onto his knees as he tugged at the roots of his hair. I'd have been worried if I hadn't seen Carlisle practice the same behavior, because his hair was still all there.

"Jesus, Edward. I'm supposed to be the crazy hormonal one, not you. Charlie won't lose it, if that's what you're worried about. You've proved yourself plenty in his eyes. He knows that you're committed to me—to us. He gave you his blessing and he won't take that away. Sure, this little bundle has come a bit earlier than either of us anticipated but we'll be fine. Charlie will be fine. I think he's secretly wanted grandchildren for years."

I couldn't stop myself when I reached over and punched him in the chest—hard. He grabbed his chest in genuine pain as he looked at me with eyes wide. I sat up a little more, fighting a groan as the paper crumpled beneath me. "What the hell, Bella?"

"Stop being a pussy!"

He continued to rub his chest as his eyes narrowed. "You are spending way too much time with the women in my family."

"Well maybe you're not spending enough time with the men in mine, because you're acting like a scared little boy! We're pregnant, Edward. There's a baby growing inside of me, and you need to sort your shit out and get over your fear of my father because I don't need you mentally cutting out whenever you're scared you're going to upset him. Do I make myself clear!"

I didn't realize I'd worked myself up so much that I was crying until Edward wiped the tears away with his thumbs. He was gentle as he shushed me, rubbing his hand up and down my back. Which was exactly the position my doctor found us in.

"Isabella Swan and Edward Cullen?" She questioned, glancing nervously at her chart. "Cullen? Doctor?"

Edward nodded his head toward her, and I felt his eyes on me before he continued speaking. "Yes, Carlisle is my father, I work at Greenlane. I'm an Obstetrician."

"Nice to meet you, I've heard stories about your father. He's an amazing doctor—is General Practice still keeping him happy these days?"

Ok, my doctor had a crush on Carlisle. Awkward. Though she seemed to realize this as quickly as I did and snapped back quickly.

"Anyway, I've checked over everything and your blood work, and urine sample results came back too. You're definitely pregnant; I would like to perform an ultrasound though just to look into one of our findings. Your HCG was a little higher than expected."

"You're thinking multiples?" Edward asked professionally, as he sat up a little straighter.

"I don't want to say anything without confirmation; however that's what the results indicate."

I watched as Edward got to his feet, hand out as he silently asked to look at my file. The doctor glanced at me first, but I just nodded my head, before she handed the file to him.

I watched as he skimmed the results, his eyes widening at some of the things he saw. Probably my history that I had my GP to forward when I signed up. I figured they needed a detailed medical history, in case anything went wrong so they could plan for it.

"Can we do the ultrasound now?" Edward asked impatiently, handing the folder back to the doctor.

I watched the doctor as she quickly left the room, and returned with what I assumed was an ultrasound machine. I tuned out as she set everything up, that was until Edward sat back down, grabbing my hand.

"You think I might be carrying twins?" I asked, somehow calm.

He nodded his head but didn't say anything, he just raised hand to his lips and kissed my knuckles.

As the doctor started getting her machine ready, she stared asking me questions about my last cycle and my general wellness. My responses were a little robotic, my mind still stuck on the idea that I could be carrying twins.

Twins didn't run in my family as far as I knew, but I wasn't sure about Edward's. Esme and Carlisle could have had twins on either of their sides. Though all the same, it wasn't impossible that this could just have been one of those things.

"Are you ready to see your baby?" the doctor asked, as she held out the probe. I nodded my head, afraid to speak. "Excellent, now I have warmed the lubrication gel but it might be a little uncomfortable." I just nodded dumbly.

The probe wasn't uncomfortable, but felt a little weird. Looking down I still didn't think it was obvious that I was pregnant, but I wasn't exactly expecting it either. We'd only recently decided that we were ready for children, and now I was already pregnant. I could have been pregnant when we decided we wanted a baby.

A baby.

It was a little uncomfortable given the amount of water I'd been asked to drink before I arrived for our appointment.

When she pressed a button on the machine and I heard a strange whooshing sound, I looked up at Edward to see his eyes trained on the screen, a tear trailing down his cheek.

"The baby's heart beat." He announced sweetly.

"It's so fast."

"It's perfectly normal, Ms. Swan. Now I just need to move this around so I can get a clear—" she paused for a second, reaching quickly to the machine she pressed a couple more buttons, and wrote something down, before drawing our attention to the screen. "There're your babies, Ms. Swan, Dr. Cullen. Looks like you're having twins."

"Are they—?" I started, not really sure what I wanted to ask. "How far along am I?"

"Well, looking at the sizes, twin one over here" she pointed out a figure on the screen, "appears to be further along than twin two. Twin one's development and size suggests you're about twelve weeks along, twin two is a bit smaller—though not enough for you to be worried. This can happen, if conception dates between the two are a little off."

I think my eyes popped out of my head. "How can conception dates be off? I mean I get the whole two egg thing, but different conception dates?"

I was freaking out. Really freaking out. Did that mean I was going to have to give birth twice? My poor vagina, I don't think it could handle that. I sometimes had a hard time handling Edward's girth. How would I handle a baby's head and shoulders, and form exiting my body? I wouldn't! Drugs. "I want drugs when I give birth, lots of them. The good stuff. My poor vagina!"

Edward looked completely thrown off by my verbal diarrhea while the doctor just looked at him, as if to say ' _do you want to take this?_

"Baby, shhh." He tried to soothe. "We'll discuss your birth plan later down the track, but if you want drugs, I'll be sure to let the delivering doctor know. As for the twins have different developmental stages, there are two possible reasons. The first, reason could be that twin two may not be getting quite as much nutrients as twin one, therefore it appears smaller, though that shouldn't be an issue come delivery. The second, is called superfetation—which is very rare, the number of documented cases is probably around ten. It's what happens when you ovulate after one egg has already been fertilised. Though looking at the scans, and I'm sure, our doctor, agrees the second scenario is far less likely, and never happened in this hospital. I think our second baby is just a little on the smaller side. Look at our sizes, B, it can definitely happen."

"How? Up until two months ago, you know I was religious with birth control!"

Edward brushed a tear away as he leaned down to kiss my forehead.

"Seth also gave you food poisoning when we were visiting your Mum."

"Why didn't you think about that when you were having sex with me that weekend?" he rolled his eyes.

"You told me you were fine, and when you're naked and on top of me the last thing on my mind is 'I might need a condom in case her birth control is defective.'" He narrowed his eyes, as he looked at me. "Are you upset about this Bella?"

What?! I shook my head vehemently from side to side. "No, you idiot. Of course not, I'm just—shaken I guess. Twins. Edward, we're having twins! Not one kid, but two. Two of them! I just don't know what to think I guess. It's insane."

I was shocked when Edward's lips were on mine, and completely unprepared. I gasped in shock more than anything else, but Edward took that as an invitation as he stuck his tongue in my mouth, dominating the kiss as I sat there and took it. When he pulled away I was both breathless and embarrassed. I just had a bit of a freak out in front of my doctor, and then let Edward attack my mouth.

"I'm sorry, Doctor…" I didn't even know my doctor's name! I could feel my face flame in embarrassment.

"Hamilton, but call me Bree and its fine. I've seen worse." She smiled. Were we already finished? "I'll have photos printed and waiting for you at the reception desk as well as a prescription for prenatal vitamins and things to watch out for. Twins are considered a high-risk pregnancy, so I expect to see you again in a month for your next checkup, however following that we'll probably be looking at checkups every two weeks. Okay?"

Edward and I nodded our heads in sync, as the doctor smiled before congratulating us as she left the room, pulling the door closed behind her so I could redress.

"Edward?" I asked, as I quickly resituated my clothes again.

"Yeah, B?"

"You get to tell Charlie tomorrow at Thanksgiving dinner." I watched as Edward paled a little, but continued to help me off the table.

"Yes, dear."

Thanksgiving morning came way too soon. Edward and I wanted nothing more than to sleep in, especially after yesterday, and the events that soon followed. It involved a naked Edward, and a naked me and felt oh so good.

"Turn it off." I begged as the alarm on Edward's phone continued to blare. Topaz was whining too, though she wanted us to get up so we could feed her.

"It's too early." Edward groaned as I heard shuffling while he searched for his phone. "Why do you need to start cooking so early?"

"Because the turkey your sister bought is going to take the better part of a day to cook." I held the pillow over my face as I answered. "Topaz wants you to feed her, Babe."

Edward groaned, but I heard him get up. He snapped his fingers, and I knew Topaz was fast on his heels. She'd need to go to the bathroom when she was finished eating.

With a final groan, I rolled over throwing off the covers and rising to my feet. The morning sickness I had been warned about hit me like a ton of bricks. I fought to keep the contents of my stomach in check until I got to the bathroom. I barely made it.

Nothing tasted as good coming up as it did going down.

When Edward found me, vomiting had turned into dry retching.

I heard him running the faucet, and a few moments later he was placing a damp wash cloth against the back of my neck as he soothingly rubbed a hand up and down my back.

"Have you had morning sickness before, Babe?" I shook my head. Nausea yeah, but actually vomiting. This was a first.

It took a few more minutes before the retching finally stopped, and Edward was at my side the whole time.

"I'm going to brush my teeth real quick and then have a shower; do you want to join me?" I noticed his eyes flash darkly as he smirked.

"I'll get it started for us." He practically purred, before kissing my forehead.

It took an hour before Edward and I were dressed and ready to see the family. There was no missing the canary grin on Edward's face as we made our way downstairs, hand in hand. Topaz followed us down, brushing up against our calves in her haste.

"You're in a hurry, Girl." I laughed, clinging to the side rail so she wouldn't send me headlong down the stairs.

We could hear everyone chatting and laughing by the time we made it down to the kitchen.

Sue was already making a start on the preparing the vegetables with the help of Esme, Rose and Alice. I could see genuine interest on their faces as Sue gave them the rundown on the history of Thanksgiving. They were right, it was plastered all over TV here, but it felt strange not seeing Thanksgiving decorations everywhere. It was easy to forget how big the world actually was.

"Morning, guys!" Edward and I greeted as we entered. I headed straight for the coffee machine, and started making myself a coffee. I was only allowed one cup of coffee a day, so I planned on savoring it.

While my coffee was brewing, I made Edward a cup of tea. Coffee still wasn't his preference and I doubted that it ever would be.

"How'd you sleep Dad?" I asked as he pulled up a stool next to me.

"Really well, Bells. I don't know what kind of mattress that is, but it's great. I don't think I've had a better sleep. Wouldn't you agree, Sue?"

Sue was nodding her head as she ate her sandwich. "Where did you get those beds Alice, we need one?"

Alice started rattling on about how she'd sourced the beds. I was shocked by how genuinely interested Charlie and Sue were. I guess they really wanted a new bed. The idea did make me squicky for a moment. I told myself it was because they were old and needed more support, rather than the alternative.

"So are you ready to start cooking?" I asked, realizing that we needed as much time as possible to have everything finished and on the table at a reasonable hour.

We really should have gotten up earlier.

Once we started to actually cook, we were away. Alice, Esme and Rose were very interested in learning the recipes, which was nice. It would be great if they were able to actually learn the recipes, because I hoped we'd be able to turn Thanksgiving into an annual thing.

It took a few hours of preparing and cooking before we had everything ready and in the ovens. The smells filling the air reminded me of home and I loved it.

"Well, that's pretty much all the cooking we can do for a while." I said, dusting flour from my hands. "Esme, would you mind watching the turkey? I was hoping we could show Dad and Sue around."

Esme practically shoved Edward and me out of the kitchen. I guess she was down for that plan. We'd left instructions behind that should help Esme realize when the food was ready.

Edward was the perfect tour guide as he drove us everywhere! Mission Bay, Piha; he took us through the city and stopped at Aotea square so that we could grab a quite bite for lunch and a quick walk through the city.

I could see how much Charlie and Sue were enjoying everything. It wasn't often that Edward and I ventured out much into the city, but he definitely knew his way around. I loved visiting the city, but I often got over it too. There were a lot of people, and they weren't always the most patient.

"If we didn't have a mess of food waiting for us at home, I would have stopped there." Edward pointed at a packed ice-cream store called Giapo. It was over flowing with people, but as customers left the store with nothing short of ice cream masterpieces in their hands I could see why.

"Wow," Charlie enthused, "that's not ice-cream! It looks way too pretty to eat, but it looks good."

"It tastes as good as it looks." Edward assured us as we continued to walk back towards the car.

"Dinner will be practically ready when we get home too, Dad!"

At that reminder, Dad's pace picked up as he was close to running back towards the car.

The ride back home was a short, quiet affair. Edward had gotten very quiet, probably remembering what it was he'd been tasked with this evening. If I hadn't been so far along, I probably wouldn't have been quite so willing to share the news with our family just yet. I probably would have made Edward tell Charlie the news anyway, though.

When we arrived home, I was shocked to see the dining table dressed to the nines. Alice had done an amazing job! The table was covered in a beautiful while linen tablecloth, with a gold table runner down the center. The centerpiece was masterful and looked fresh out of a Martha Stewart piece. I'd never seen the table wear before. The large white plates, all had a golden, hand-painted rim, as did the wine glasses.

Sue and Charlie were each standing next to me and I could hear the amazement in their surprised gasps too.

"Wow." Charlie whistled, "I don't think I've ever seen a more impressive dining table before."

"Maybe on TV." Sue added awestruck.

Even I couldn't quite believe what I was seeing. I must have overestimated the cooking time, because I'd anticipated having another hour of roasting left for the turkey—at least—but a golden brown bird sat pretty in the middle of the table.

"When did the turkey come out?" I asked Esme, feeling a little guilty that she'd had to pull the bird out herself. She'd openly admitted to never having cooked a turkey before.

She waved her hand at me. "I have Google, Bella, don't fuss so much. I thought it looked close to done so I looked up how to check. The core temperature was just right, so I pulled it out maybe twenty minutes ago. I let it rest, and there you go, turkey!"

"I'm happy you thought to check. I would have felt badly for serving dry turkey for your first Thanksgiving."

"Great. Great." Emmett said impatiently, "that's all well and good, Mum's a genius. Can we eat now?"

The telltale sign of Rosalie trying to impart wisdom onto her baby daddy was heard loudly, as Emmett cursed. In turn, earning himself another slap round the ears by his father, who was closer to him than Esme.

"You're making me look bad, Boy." Esme threatened toward Emmett before turning to the rest of us. "Have a seat, please, let's get Thanksgiving started."

Everyone was quick to take a seat, the children leaving the head of the table for Charlie and Carlisle out of respect. I couldn't keep the smile off my face as Esme handed the carving knife over to Charlie.

I knew his favorite part of Thanksgiving was carving the Turkey. He'd spent years mastering his technique, I would have hated to see it go to waste.

"Um, Carlisle, we're not religious people really, but we do normally say Grace. Do you think you'd be able to do a karakia for us?" It seemed fair that if Charlie carved the bird, the Cullen's could handle grace. I also wanted them to know that this was _our_ Thanksgiving. I wanted them to bring some Maoritanga to the table too.

"Wow, thanks Bella. I'd be honoured. It's been a while; I'll need to think for a second, please bear with me?" Everyone nodded their head in response as we watched Carlisle mouth something to himself. I assumed it was the words to the karakia.

I heard some delivered before at Uncle Paora's tangi, but maybe it's easier to remember Maori prayers when you're immersed in your culture.

"Please, if you could all lower you heads," Carlisle asked, I watched as the whole table followed his request, as they lowered their heads and clasped their hands.

" _E_ _te Atua_

 _Whakapainga ēnei kai_

 _Hei oranga mō ō mātou tinana_

 _Whāngaia hoki ō mātou wairua ki te taro o te ora_

 _Ko Ihu Karaiti tō mātou Ariki_

 _Ake, ake, ake_

 _Amene"_

Carlisle's voice was clear and true, caressing the words with a familiarity I'd never seen before as he spoke Te Reo. I knew he was capable, they all were, but I seldom heard them say more than a word here or there, in Te Reo. It really was a beautiful language.

After a chorus of Amene, and Amen, we all started pilling our plates.

Just before Emmett took a bite, I jumped in calling the table to attention.

"I know we've said grace, and our food's been blessed, and you've been patiently waiting to dig in Em—," I shot him a look as a mouth full of turkey was inches away from his mouth. He lowered his fork with a scowl. "But just quickly, I'd like for us to go around the table and say what we're thankful for. It's been a pretty manic year, but I think it'll help us get into the spirit of things." Everyone at the table nodded their agreement. "I'll start. I'm thankful for Edward. I didn't know my life could be this full and rewarding, I spent years trying to fit into a life that made sense, but what I should have done was make sense of the life I fit. Em, I don't know where I would be right now if you hadn't taken a joy ride in that cab, so I'm really thankful, that you pissed off your missus that day. Carlisle, you're turn."

On my left, Carlisle looked a little unsure of how to begin, but with a nod and a smile he cleared his throat softly. "I'm thankful for my beautiful wife and our children. I give you guys a hard time, and I know I can be tough, but you all make me very proud, and I'm going to be a grandfather soon. My life is complete and I just hope my children find this type of happiness in their lives too."

My heart ached watching the tenderness in Carlisle's eyes as he regarded first Esme, and then his children. Rose looked a bit choked up as she gave Carlisle a watery smile.

"Okay, my turn." Esme smiled. "I saw this on TV and I always said I'd know what to say, but I don't so I'll speak from my heart. I'm thankful for my family. It hasn't always been an easy road, but we've always stuck by each other through thick and thin, team Cullen all the way. I'd also like to thank Charlie because you let your daughter go, and find herself which allowed my son to find himself again with the help of your daughter. All of my children are happy and safe with partners that love and adore them, and I have you to thank Charlie for helping complete my family, so Thank you."

Charlie looked crimson, as he flushed an alarming shade of red at Esme's compliment. If only she knew how ropeable my father was when he'd gotten word I'd left the continent.

Everyone went around the table giving their thanks, the Cullen children were a lot less sappy than their parents. Though not by much. I shed a tear at Charlie, as he thanked me for being me and knowing when I needed to go out and find myself. He thanked Sue, for being woman enough to stand by him, even when he let work be his wife. Hearing him admit that, choked me up as well as Sue who just hugged him, kissing him sweetly on the lips.

When it came to Edward, I gave him the sign that now was the time. He needed to do it while Charlie was emotional, and while everyone else was being sappy.

"Ok," Edward cleared his throat. "Thanks for making sure I was the last one to do this B." I smiled cheekily at Edward in response. "First, I want to thank my family. Mum and Dad, you both are the reason I am the man I am today. Ali, Em, you guys made growing up hell, but I wouldn't trade you for anything. Rose and Jas, I don't remember a time you both weren't there making our family complete. Charlie, you gave me Bella and that's probably the hardest thing you've ever had to do in your life, so thank you. One day, I know I'll have to give my own little girl away, so I feel like I can understand your pain a little. Right now, I still have to wait six more months or so until I get to meet my babies, but even now I know letting them go will be the hardest thing I'll ever have to do."

I didn't realize I was holding Edward's hand, until he squeezed it.

I didn't know I was crying until Carlisle handed me a linen napkin.

I didn't think my fiancé could be more perfect, and then he does shit like this.

The silence that fell upon the table was deafening as everyone seemed to be processing Edward's admission. To be fair, he was pretty suave, rolling our news into his thanks.

"You're pregnant I, knew it!" Alice said excitedly, the first person to gather her wits. She was also the first to suggest that I was pregnant. "Wait. Babies? You said babies. Twins? Are you having twins?"

"Wait, what?" Emmett asked around a mouthful of turkey. He hadn't noticed he was the only person eating.

I felt my ears turning red as all eyes seemed to be focused on me now, including Emmett.

"Bella?" Charlie asked, his excitement poorly hidden as his cheeks pinked and he chewed on his top lip.

I didn't realize that was a habit I had picked up from Charlie until now.

"We found out today Dad. I'm twelve weeks pregnant, with twins."

I'd never seen Charlie cry before, but sitting here watching tears stream down my father's face was enough to get me started. As long as I could remember,

I'd never seen him look happier, or more overwhelmed. I was so focused on Charlie; I didn't see Esme's reaction until I heard her sob. She'd been emotional when she'd found out about Emmett and Rosalie, but this was something else.

"Oh Bella," she cried, holding her hands to her mouth. "I never, ever thought I'd see the day my son would have that smile on his face again."

Carlisle looked choked up too as he got out of his chair, moving to Esme's side to help calm her down.

I told Edward he didn't need to worry about Charlie's reaction, clearly I was right. I didn't see Esme and Carlisle's emotional reactions coming however.

"Mum, Jesus!" Edward was freaking out at his parents' reactions. He followed in Carlisle's stead, pulling Esme's chair out a little as he knelt at her feet. "What're you on? My smile didn't go anywhere."

"Don't be stupid boy, you were miserable when your marriage fell apart. That girl ruined you. You were merely functioning before you met Bella. She brought you back to me." She turned to me with a smile. "You brought my son back Bella, you really, truly did. I love you so much."

"Great." Emmett said impatiently, "can we welcome Bella to sainthood later, Ma, I'm starving."

Normally Rose probably would have smacked Emmett upside the head for an outburst like that, but he was probably saying something they were all thinking. I was starving too, emotionally wrought as well, but I was feeling hunger pangs like a beast.

"Sorry, I kind of caused a bit of a spectacle, huh?" Rhetorical question. "Eat, please."

I insisted, not surprised in the least to hear the room flooded with the sounds of cutlery against dishware as everyone started eating. The moans and groans of appreciation had me feeling really proud because this was finally something I was able to share with my family. They'd shown and given me so much, so being able to give them something in return was a pretty big deal for me.

Dinner was spent catching the glances of Charlie and Esme as they smiled their way through their meals. The rest of the family, were quick to offer their congratulations and move on. I guess to them it was only a matter of time, or maybe Alice wasn't the only one who had an inkling that I was pregnant.

I guess after all of us having missed the signs with Rose, maybe they were on baby watch this whole time? I don't think Carlisle's ego could have handled two missed pregnancies.

Dinner was a loud affair as everyone began to reach their fill. Conversation was loud, but joyous. There really was a lot to celebrate and appreciate. Emmett was the most excited, he and Rose knew they were having a daughter and he was hoping Edward and I would have at least have one son so there would be someone else looking out for his little girl.

That poor girl was going to have Emmett, and his six foot four frame as a father, Jasper and his quiet, uneasy calm as well as Edward to worry about. Even if Edward and didn't have a son, there were enough men in Rose and Emmett's lives to ward off boys until she was thirty.

"Holy shit, what happens if you have two girls?" Emmett gasped, "She's not dating, Rosie. I'm sorry, but no. That's not happening, ever"

I caught the cheeky smile on Carlisle's face as he regarded his son. Esme just rolled her eyes, probably having had to have dealt with the same kind of panic when Alice was born.

"Don't be stupid, Emmett. What would you have done if my dad tried to do something like that? Would it have stopped you?"

The challenge in Rose's voice was impossible to miss.

Jasper was the first one to bark out a laugh. "You're fucked bro; severely fucked!"

"Language!" I was wide eyed as I looked at Charlie. I didn't expect him to be the one to chime in. Jasper clearly hadn't either as he blushed, tugging on the lengths of his hair.

"Rose, she can't. _They_ can't. Thirty." I couldn't help but chew on my lip as Emmett failed to find the words to describe the heartache.

She wasn't even born yet and she had her father on the verge of a nervous breakdown.

"Even Bella's worried, Rosie. Look at her face!" My eyes were probably a mile wide as he drew everyone's attention to me.

"Don't even." I said way too quickly, "I am not taking part in this."

"Edward?" The plea in Emmett's voice was obvious.

"Sorry, Bro, but I really think you need to calm down. Saying no to everything will do a lot more harm than good."

"Dude, you're supposed to have my back. What if Bella's carrying your daughter—daughters! Are you trying to tell me that you'll be able to let them date and kiss boys?"

I cast a look at both Charlie and Carlisle, who were silently communicating like old friends.

They knew all too well what it was like to have their daughters grow up and no longer need them. Carlisle hadn't had to deal with his daughter moving across the world like Charlie had, but their daughters had grown up just the same.

"She's not even born yet, Emmett!" Edward said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Son, calm down." Carlisle tied to soothe, "enjoy being a father, and spending each and every moment trying to make your daughter's life worth living."

"Stop thinking about her getting older and not wanting you in her life, Emmett. Just enjoy her being small and needing you and her mom for everything, because the time that you have with her is short and precious." I couldn't look Charlie in the eye as he talked about little girl's growing up—his little girl growing up. "Don't have her walking out your door before she's even walking this earth."

"Exactly!" Rose said exasperatedly, breaking me from the mental guilt trap Charlie had unknowingly tucked me into. "You're just going to have to trust that we're going to be capable parents, and we're going to do everything we can to make sure our daughter doesn't want for anything, or get incredibly fucked up by us. That's what good parenting is about."

Emmett was still freaking out, however, I think he'd finally decided to do so silently.

"Boy, you're an idiot." Charlie sighed, just as Alice brought out the dessert. I hadn't realized that dinner had been cleared away! His eyes lit up when he saw Sue's sweet potato pie, she'd topped it with mini marshmallows—Charlie's favorite.

Trifle, pavlova and pumpkin pie followed, as well as an apple pie I hadn't realized had been made served with vanilla ice cream.

Dessert was definitely Esme's specialty.

"I've always wanted to try one of these." Charlie announced as the pavlova was placed nearest to him. "I saw it on TV once, it looks so good!"

Charlie was rarely enthusiastic, normally it'd happen when fishing was mentioned, or food. A good game would do it on occasion too, so long as his team was winning and there was beer.

"Do you even know what it's called Dad?"

He glared as he answered. "Pamela, or Pavlov. It was named after a ballerina I think. I saw it on a Kitchen Champion show."

"Since when do you watch cooking shows?"

"It was on the TV. Your old man is a little cultured, Bella." I couldn't hold back my laughter at his indignation.

"It was called My Kitchen Rules, Bella, and he watched it yesterday. Can you please tell him what the name of that dessert is, because I am pretty sure it's not named after a Russian Physiologist."

I rolled my eyes, while everyone else seemed to be holding back their laughter. "Pavlova dad, and please dig in."

He didn't hesitate as he cut a massive helping and slid it onto his plate, before doing the same with the pumpkin pie.

I don't think I was the only one who was watching Charlie with bated breath as he took his first spoonful of Pavlova.

The chipmunk cheeked, closed mouth smile he gave Esme was enough to know he enjoyed it. A lot. So did his second helping.

"Is Thanksgiving always that eventful?" Edward asked as we stood side by side brushing our teeth.

We'd eaten our fill, and then some and were well and truly ready to have a food coma.

"Not really. Not mine at least. How did you like your first Thanksgiving?"

"It was a lot of fun, and nothing like my normal family get togethers."

I rolled my eyes, as I leaned over the sink to spit. "Because we can't sing in tune, or play guitar?"

"There's that." He ribbed, "but also because I don't think we've ever really taken the time to tell each other how thankful we are. Mum and Dad are great, they always have been, but it felt really good to show and tell them. I don't know if that's what Thanksgiving is about, but that's what it meant to me tonight."

Placing my toothbrush back in the holder next to Edward's, I turned into his chest, wrapping my arms around his waist. The warmth of his bare chest against my thin cotton tank was comforting as I snuggled into him. "It doesn't matter what it is back home, Baby. For us, here, with our family all together it can mean anything we want."

"Well, I declare our Cullen Thanksgiving, a day for us to celebrate each other." Edward said with a grin. "On this day we shall eat tons of food, appreciate each other and take an evening to be grateful for all of our blessings."

"Here, here." I encouraged, placing Edward's hands on my belly.

* * *

 **Translation:**

 ** _E te atua_**

 ** _Whakapainga ēnei kai_**

 ** _(Bless our Food)_**

 ** _Hei oranga mo o matou tinana_**

 ** _(As well being for our body)_**

 ** _Ko Ihu Karaiti hoki tō mātou Ariki_**

 ** _(For Jesus Christ our Lord)_**

 ** _Āmene_**

 ** _(Amen)_**

 **And there we have it. No Thanksgiving wedding for all you amazing reviewers who 'subtly' hinted. I'm sure you like my alternative though.**

 **I just read through the final few pages of this overall fic and it makes me sad to see this winding down. I have one more complete chapter already written, and** **epic to come and at this stage two Edward Outtakes that I'm polishing up.**

 **I don't know what I'll do when this fic comes to an end, but I've got a couple of other fics I'm hoping can take up my time... maybe. Hopefully.**

 **Also, a couple of mentions for a few Facebook groups that deserve your attention.**

 **Firstly, we have the TFMU Twi Fic Meet Up group (** **1805908179713557)** **, to find out more about the Twific Meet Up happening in a couple of month. It's great opportunity for to meet other authors, readers and fandom fanatics alike. If I wasn't across the other side of the world, I would definitely have been there.**

 **Secondly, for those of you who haven't had the pleasure of Fran and her group Twilight Fanfiction Pays It Forward (** **896806390388220) check it out! It's an amazing playground for those new to writing or even experienced writers returning from hiatus or willing to share their skills. You also find some amazing little gems on there too!**

 **Nic.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Sorry for the delay guys, my schedule changed at work and I've been confused by the days of the week all week.**

 **Mad love to the amazing red pen skills of my beta EdwrdsFirstKiss, she's kind of amazing... and I didn't intentionally leave you. Promise.**

* * *

I was resting my head against the cool porcelain of the toilet when Edward found me.

"Oh, Baby." He fussed, before I heard running water. I heard him ring out the cloth before he pressed it against the back of my neck. "I don't know why this has hit you out of nowhere."

I shook my head where it lay against the seat. "You don't need to remind me."

"You should have called me," I groaned in response to that question, "or _text_ me. I would have called in a prescription for morning sickness and picked it up on my way home."

I shook my head again, but the nausea was passing. A few more minutes and I knew I would be fine.

I reached around and placed my hand over Edward's mouth. _No talking._ I was trying to tell him. I just wanted to relax for a bit.

As expected, about ten minutes passed, and I no longer felt like heaving up a lung.

"Isn't morning sickness only supposed to last for the first trimester? I'm in my second!"

Edward just chuckled as he spread toothpaste on my toothbrush and handed it to me where I sat on the toilet seat.

"It's not that cut and dry. Typically, yes, morning sickness is mainly during the first trimester, however every pregnancy is different and some expectant mothers continue to experience it for the duration of their pregnancy."

With a frown, I punched Edward in the chest, splattering a little toothpaste on his scrub shirt in the process.

" _Really?"_

"I was asking my boyfriend a rhetorical question; I didn't want Dr. Cullen answering."

He held his hands up in defeat before pulling the scrub shirt over his head and tossing it in the laundry basket.

I kept brushing my teeth until I couldn't taste the bile anymore, before finally getting up off the toilet seat. After rinsing my mouth out as well as the toothbrush, I felt functionally human again.

"So can we talk or will I get the _fiancé_ versus doctor argument again?" Edward was lounging on the bed, dressed only in sleep pants. I could hear Topaz snoring from the living room. She'd taken a liking to the sofa.

"That depends." I knee crawled across the bed until I was straddling Edward's legs; my knees on either side of his hips.

He grabbed for my waist. "On?"

I ground down, eliciting a low groan from Edward, though he didn't move or respond.

"Do you want to talk, or. Have. Sex?"

He didn't respond with words. He didn't need to. He made it very clear that he was interested in the later when he flipped us over. He grabbed my hands and pinned them above my head, against the pillows.

He leaned down close, his lips against my ear. "What if I want to play doctor? You're a beautiful patient."

His hands were gentle as he slid my shirt up my stomach. He gave me enough space so that he could pull it up and over my head. He leaned down and started peppering kisses across my stomach. He was pleasantly surprised to find I wasn't wearing a bra and made it known as he started playing with my nipples; lapping at them with his tongue and playing with the other one between his fingers. He alternated quickly between the two sending white hot bolts of electricity through my flesh, right down to where I was begging for attention.

I knew Edward liked my breasts, but he liked them _so_ much more now as they grew and swelled. They were much more sensitive now too. He'd almost made me cum a couple of times from breast play alone which surprised me, but nowhere near as much as it surprised Edward.

"I think you need a thorough physical exam." If he needed me to respond he was shit out of luck because he'd seduced away all of my sense. I was a writhing, pile of nerve endings.

"Will I also need to investigate why you're not speaking?" he purred, his lips moving up from my left nipple as he kissed the valley of my breasts, his lips and tongue burned a trail up toward my lips. "I know just how to treat you too."

Just before he could place his lips on mine, I gained enough sense to stop him. His eyes were practically black with want, as he looked down at me, highly amused.

"I'm in panties, and you're still wearing pants. That's unfair." I managed to breathe out. "You need to rectify that."

"You're right, I should fix that." I was a little disappointed when he pulled off me and stepped away from the bed. When he returned seconds later, his penis was proudly on display as it rested against his stomach. "Fixed it."

He didn't hesitate as he climbed on top of me again, spreading my legs as his made himself home between them. I didn't need foreplay, I just wanted him, and yet he continued to tease me.

"Why're you teasing me?" I panted as he licked his way up from the valley of my breasts and along my collarbone.

"Because I want to see how worked up I can get you, before you're begging."

He knew my body too well, even slightly swollen and significantly more sensitive, and he was playing a cruel game.

I was way too excited when he finally slid my panties down my legs, but it was premature.

He blew softly against me, teasing me. I thought he was finally going to give me what I wanted, but he didn't. He started placing wet kisses against the inside of my thighs alternating between them. I was writhing and shaking under him. I needed more, so much more but he wasn't giving it to me.

"Please, stop. Toying. With. Me!" I begged. "Touch me. I need more."

"Touch you." He slid his fingers up my thighs; their path scorching my skin in their wake. "Here?" He touched his thumb to my clit, and I couldn't help the way my back arched up off the bed.

"Yes." I was so needy, I was probably about as close to begging as I was every going to get and Edward knew it too.

He dragged his fingers away, a wet, sticky trail following. "Or maybe you want me to touch you here instead."

I groaned, pissed he'd moved his fingers away from any kind of relief I wanted.

When his fingers danced their way back up and started circling my clit again, I could have cried. I was so close, so very close to orgasming my whole body was on fire, shaking with the need to just let go. I felt so good, so _close_ and then he backed away.

Over and over again he pushed me to the brink, only to pull me back. Slowing or stopping. I was burning with need, as sweat covered my entire body, leaving my skin slick.

I had no idea how Edward could handle it, I could feel his cock, and he was hard and wanting. Precum had been leaking from the tip during his ministrations, but still he continued to toy with me.

"Please, Edward. _Please_."

The grin he gave me was down-right salacious.

"Now that's what I wanted to hear." He all but cheered before finally thrusting himself inside me. He filled me in one quick movement which I hadn't anticipated and it set me off. My whole body was shaking as the strongest orgasm of my life ripped through me.

I couldn't focus on anything except the sensations rolling through my body, and I wasn't able to come down as Edward continued thrusting. I was squealing, crying and screaming but for what I couldn't tell you.

My whole body was a live wire and everywhere that Edward touched was burning.

Before I could understand what was happening, another orgasm hit me which finally seemed to trigger Edward's as his whole body stilled. I could feel him as he came in spurts inside me.

Always cautious, Edward partially rolled off me, though that seemed to be the only movement he was capable off.

When I could feel cum dribbling down my leg, I knew I needed to clean up.

"Edward?" He grunted in response. "You need to move, I need to clean up."

It seemed to take a lot of effort, but he shifted, giving me enough room to slip from the bed and clean myself up.

By the time I got back to bed, Edward was asleep. I grabbed a blanket from the blanket box and shuffled in next to him, pulling the blanket over the both of us. It didn't take long before I was drifting off next to him, strung out on the most intense orgasmic high of my life.

A couple of hours later I woke up alone still covered by the blanket. I could hear Edward bustling around in the kitchen.

Grabbing the first shirt I could find, I got dressed. I had to pull on a pair of panties from my drawer, because at a cursory glance I couldn't see where Edward had thrown mine. Then again, he may have picked them up and thrown them in the hamper.

Edward was trying to be quiet as he heated up leftovers. I couldn't help the smile that spread across his face as I saw the lap tray on the table, with two mugs and two glasses.

I wrapped my arms around his waist, hugging my front to his back. He was wearing sleep pants and nothing else.

"I was hoping you'd keep sleeping." I hummed against his back. I couldn't sleep well when he wasn't with me.

"I rolled over, and you weren't there."

He chuckled. "Someone helped me work up an appetite. I woke up starving."

He unwrapped my arms and turned so we were face to face.

"You're the one who was toying with me." I stood on my toes to kiss him softly on the lips. "I think if anyone's appetite needs appeasing, its mine."

"That wasn't too much, was it?" He asked nervously. "I mean—I didn't take it too far, did i? I wasn't too rough?"

I looked up at his face and the furrow between his brows. He was very worried. I was shocked to say the least. Never, had he ever been worried that he'd been too rough, or had done too much.

At times I thought he knew my body better than I knew it myself, so I couldn't figure out why he was worried.

"Hey, no—never. Edward you know that I would have told you if it was too much. It was perfect, amazing. I will be feeling it for a little while, but I enjoyed it. You have to know that."

His arms tightened around me. "Rationally, I know that rough sex isn't going to hurt you or the babies, but—,"

"You gave me multiple orgasms Edward—two of them. I'm not complaining now, and I wasn't complaining then. You know you're kind of killing my buzz right now."

"I'm sorry, Bella. You know how I worry." His eyes softened as he rubbed at my belly. "You're right it was awesome, and I did feel pretty studdly getting you off twice."

"Aside from the fact you said _studdly_ that was more like what I was expecting of you."

I wasn't the least bit surprised when Edward crashed his mouth down on mine. There was fire and passion as his tongue made its way into my mouth. The heat built quickly and before I knew it, I was being picked up and sat on the counter. My legs were spread wide as Edward stepped between them.

His hands danced their way up my thighs, sliding my shirt up as they went. "Panties? Bella—,"

"Bella, why is the door locked?" Came Emmett's childish whine, followed immediately by a loud thunderous knock. "Bella? Edward? Toppy?"

Before Emmett could get Topaz too riled up, Edward helped me down, taking a breath as he adjusted himself before moving to the door to let Emmett in.

I quickly ran into the bedroom to put on a bra for one thing, and pants for another. By the time I was dressed and presentable, the whole family was sitting in the living room, and Edward was topping up the jug.

"Hey guys, what're you all doing here?" I asked, taking a seat in the empty armchair.

"We brought food," Alice waved at the coffee table now laden with enough to feed twenty, "and we haven't seen much of either of your faces around."

"It's been two days."

I bit my lip to keep from laughing at the deadpan in Edward's voice.

"Exactly! Last time I didn't see you for an extended period of time you got knocked up—twice. Literally too!"

"That's dramatic even for you. How was I supposed to know I was pregnant?"

It took me a moment to realize what I said was a little stupid.

"I'm pretty sure you know what happens when a man and a woman have unprotected sexual intercourse, one of the most likely outcomes is a ba—," Emmett was cut off as Rose smacked him on the back of his head.

"Anyway, thanks for dinner, it looks great." Edward said, reeling everyone back in. "I can't remember the last time we had Thai."

I bit my lip; I desperately hoped that it would agree with my stomach. It had been so fragile lately; I really didn't know how it would go down.

"You look worried, Bub." Carlisle observed from his seat opposite me.

I sighed. "My morning sickness has been up and down. I don't know what sets it off."

Rose and Esme shocked me by moving to sit next to me on either arm of the chair. "Mine used to be terrible too! It hit me late with Emmett, and then stuck around. Alice was different. When I was pregnant with her, she just hated to the smell of jam—donuts, toast, and Shrewsberries, jelly, just going down that aisle in the supermarket made me nauseous. Edward was the only easy pregnancy I had, easy baby too."

"I didn't have it too bad. The very beginning was rough, but by the time my second trimester rolled around; its been perfect." Rose shrugged, "my kid already knows to listen—I'm happy about that."

"Both of mine have decided I need to skip meals, spend endless hours chained to the toilet or riding E—uh, chilling with Edward."

Esme's cheeks pinked as Rosalie burst out laughing. Fortunately enough for me, no one else seemed to have heard as they all looked on confused. Edward heard me because he looked at me with red ears and tinted cheeks.

Esme cleared her throat. "Shall we eat?"

The containers were quickly peeled of lids with the crack of plastic as plates were passed around the table. The clang of cutlery was heard as everyone started dishing food onto their plates.

I was pleasantly surprised when the tang of spice and coconut cream wafted under my nose making me feel starved. I'd been worried for nothing! Edward either remembered that I was hungry, or noticed the look on my face as he quickly served me Thai Green Curry, and a massive helping of steamed vegetables.

I mouthed a quick 'thank you', before digging in. Thai food had never tasted so good.

I was falling asleep in the sand, a small trench dug out so I could lie on my belly, while the sun beat down against the umbrella shading me. The sounds of children playing and waves crashing against the shore were the perfect lullaby.

I'd been incredibly uncomfortable as my pregnancy progressed. I'd spent my childhood all over the country, mostly in dry desert heat, yet there was something distinctly different about the scorching sun in New Zealand, it was new and taxing in a way I'd never experienced`.

I had wondered how much truth there was to all of the Instagram postings of Mom's and their beach bump smiles. I felt like a beached whale, I was still on the smaller side of things, so I probably didn't look like one.

Edward and I had hadn't made it up for the family Touch tournament this year, which was a pity, given how excited Edward had been to go. We'd found out I didn't fair too well on long road trips, even city roads, so we decided not to test my stomach on a five hour drive up north.

The family wasn't due back until this evening, so we could have a quiet New Year's together. Edward and I were spending time together as a couple at the beach.

I'd had my fun in the water, and needed a nap, but Topaz wasn't quite ready to finish playing. Edward, being the doting doggy-daddy was at her every beck and call, as he continued to play with her.

The last thing I saw before my eyes closed was Topaz tackling Edward, sending him into an incoming wave.

I woke to the cool sensation of something being squirted on my skin. I'd been about to protest until I felt warm hands massaging the lotion into my skin.

"Hmmm, evening." I sighed, settling in and welcoming the strength of Edward's hands.

"The sun shifted, I wanted to make sure you didn't burn." Edward's voice sounded rough from sleep, I wondered if he too had taken a nap.

Once he'd finished, I sat up, shuffling so I could lean against Edward. As I'd expected he raised his arm, slinging it over my shoulder as he pulled me into his side.

"Are you upset that you didn't get to go up and play, Touch?"

Edward kissed the crown of my head. I'd been asleep longer than I had thought, as the sun started dipping in the sky. It must have been close to eight in the evening.

"Silly girl, if the alternative was spending time with my girl and my girls, or playing touch with family I barely know, I'd pick you any day, B. You, Topaz and these." He bent down quickly and kissed my stomach twice, "little peanuts are my life. I'll never be happier than when I'm with you."

I couldn't help myself as I lifted my chin, kissing Edward on the lips chastely. "You're such a softy."

He didn't even deny it as he gave me a smug grin.

The temperature started to cool with the setting sun, so after another half an hour, Edward and I packed our gear up so we could head back to The Point.

The beach was on our doorstep, however Edward and I chose to pack his SUV and made the two minute drive. We wanted to be sure we had all the comforts we could possibly want, but also a means to leave in a hurry should the need arise. It didn't, and really we hadn't expected it to, but we had no idea how this pregnancy could play out.

Rose was practically to term, and she'd been experiencing Braxton hicks contractions since about seven and a half months. Her baby was also getting massive. She was three weeks shy of her due date, and the baby was already estimated to be around nine pounds. If she were a woman with a smaller frame, they would have induced her; however her build had them comfortable that she'd be fine.

Esme believed that Rose was going to give birth to an eleven pound baby as she had with Emmett. I wasn't inclined to go against Esme on that one.

Rose and Emmett were both tall and athletic, and Rose had been nicely toned before her pregnancy had progressed. It only made sense they'd give birth to a behemoth child. Our twins were going to look like dolls next to their cousin.

"Hey space cadet," Edward interrupted, pulling me from my thoughts. "What's got that look on your face?"

Confused, I quirked my brow at him.

"You look like you're contemplating the meaning of life, or something. What's up?"

There was humor in his voice as he spoke good-naturedly.

"Egg," I sassed, "but really I was thinking about Rose and the baby. These kids barely have three pounds between them, and Rose Jr, is proving she's her father's daughter."

"Isn't that a scary thought right there? Can you imagine a teenager with Rose's looks, and everything else is Emmett? Emmett will be lucky if Rose lets him near her again. He may never sire a Cullen son."

I elbowed him in the side. "Aren't you lucky you're getting one of each? I don't know if I could go through the birthing experience more than once."

I was surprised when Edward just looked at me, mute. Before I could call him out for being weird, I realized what I'd said.

"Stop being a dick. I was talking about the lead up—morning sickness, heavy labor; contractions, muscle and bone ache type stuff. I know I'll have to push twice with the twins."

Edward's face turned serious. "I guess we never really talked about how many children we wanted." I shook my head, no, in agreement. "How many kids do you want, Bella?"

Initially, I'd wanted none. Seeing Edward with Claire, and how doting his was towards Rose, is what had made me change my mind. I wanted Edward to have children, and I wanted to be the woman who gave them to him.

"I want two, I think? I don't really know." I sighed, "How many do you want?"

Edward wrapped his arms around me, "One, seven, two, twelve? Bella, I don't care. I always knew I wanted a family. Having siblings to fight with and fight for, is something I'll always be grateful for. If you want to have the twins, and that's that, I'll be happy, B. You've given me the best gift ever."

I snuggled into Edward, leaning over the console a little uncomfortably. "If I want to stop at the twins, will you be okay with that?"

"I would. Hell, if you were only carrying one little guy in there, I'd be happy."

We sat ensconced in each other for almost twenty minutes before I couldn't take the pain of the console digging into my hip, and I had to get moving.

Edward wouldn't let me carry anything other than Topaz's lead. She wasn't even connected to the damn thing. As my pregnancy progressed Edward grew more protective.

It wasn't bad. It was just odd. I was used to Edward's relaxed demeanor, so seeing his fierce protectiveness was hot, when it wasn't annoying. I was pregnant, not an invalid. I was perfectly capable of carrying something, or at least walking my dog on a lead.

When I entered the apartment, I was quick to fill Topaz's food bowl. She'd had a full day at the beach and she had to be starving. I definitely was!

I could feel Edward's presence when he finally walked inside. It was the way the hair on the back of my neck stood at attention, and just as one of the twins gave a decent kick too.

His arms stretched around me, his right hand resting just beneath my ribs was met quickly with a swift nudge. "We already have ourselves a Daddy's girl."

I joked, leaning back into Edward and positioning his left hand with mine over twin two. Just like his sister, he gave a swift kick. "That's not fair, how can they both be Daddy's kids."

"Because I'm awesome, Swan." I elbowed him in the side.

"Humble too."

He started dropping kisses against my still heated skin, his hands moving up from my belly as they started tickling the skin beneath my breasts.

My body was typically a live wire whenever I was in Edward's presence; add hormones to that, minimal clothing and the likelihood of no interruptions. Well… I was struggling to keep my hands to myself.

Edward wasn't exactly a saint either. Something he proved as I felt him press forward, his cock long and hard against my back.

I leaned further into him. "Are you going to do something with that?"

His left hand continued its travels, slipping under my bikini as he squeezed my breast. His blunt finger nails scratching against my areola, was doing wicked things to them in their tender state. To be fair, I wasn't complaining, more like moaning like a wanton whore.

"Don't you know it?" He said, before turning me around and crashing his lips to mine.

We were a mass of jerking limbs and clashing teeth. It didn't take him much to wind me up; he knew it too, and managed to use that knowledge to his advantage often.

Then the phone rang. The wailing noise of the landline we never used was startling enough for it to shock us. We drifted apart so quickly; I almost shoved myself off the counter.

"Jesus." Edward said, steadying me by the hips as he wrapped an arm around my waist for a moment before hitting the speaker button on the phone. "Hello?"

" _Hey Edward, I figured you might have been sleeping, sorry!"_ Edward and I heard Alice rush out breathlessly.

"It's fine—don't worry, we just got home about ten minutes ago. We were actually unpacking from the beach when—,"

"What's up?" I cut in, watching Edward struggle to get comfortable, as he tried to adjust himself.

" _Rose went into labour as Emmett was driving her home. They were crossing the harbor bridge. Rose only wanted to go to Greenlane, which means Edward; you need to get ready to deliver your niece."_ Edward turned deathly pale as I looked at him, rather than listening to what Alice was saying.

He and Rose had discussed in great length the many reasons he couldn't be her obstetrician, and she'd come around. Last I heard she really liked the doctor Edward had recommended in his place.

"What about her Doctor and the Midwife she'd decided on?"

We heard shuffling over the line. " _Edward, it's Dad. Avery is in Melbourne on personal leave. She's not due back until next week._ "

"I work in the same department as her, why do you know that and I don't?" Edward was definitely freaking out.

" _That's what you're taking away from this, Edward?! Your sister-in-law is in labour on her way to the hospital where she wants you to deliver her daughter. Sort your shit out and get to her. She's not the only one who's going to need you, and right now your sister, mum and I are still a good five hour drive away."_

I couldn't help but feel chastened as Carlisle ripped into Edward. I guess nookie would have to wait. Edward had my niece to deliver.

"Okay Carlisle, we'll get there as soon as we can. I'll text you guys updates as they come through." I jumped in, hitting Edward in the arm. "Drive safe."

I reached around Edward to end the call as I slid down off the counter.

I didn't feel comfortable heading to the hospital in a bikini and cover up.

Stripping down quickly, I slid into fresh underwear, before stepping into a pair of maternity jeans, a tank top and a mid-calf length knitted cardigan. I'd unintentionally dressed in black and white, but I highly doubted it mattered.

Edward was slow to join me, but within ten minutes he too was dressed and ready to go. While I filled my purse with snacks and water, Edward topped up Topaz's water and put down a puppy training pad to be safe.

"You ready to deliver our niece?" I couldn't help but ask as Edward and I walked hand-in-hand down the stairs.

Edward said nothing; he did however resemble more of a vampire than his tanned self, his color still not having quite returned.

He helped me into his SUV, but said nothing; clearly stuck in his own head. I was beginning to think that perhaps I should drive; that was until he finally managed to turn the car over and head in the direction of the hospital.

"This is going to be a long ride if you don't talk to me, Edward."

He ran his hands through his hair before white knuckling the steering wheel and letting out a massive sigh. "It's not that I don't want to be there for Rose and the baby, Bella. I do, but I never wanted to deliver their baby. I love Rose—she's my sister, but I'm going to have to sit between her legs, and look at her vagina as I help her deliver their baby."

"Okay, so your job—yes, I gathered that much." He was shaking his head, clearly not impressed by my comment.

"You're not at all put off by the fact that I'll be delivering Rosalie's baby?"

This time I was shaking my head and reaching across the console to punch him in the arm. "Dip shit. Your job and what you do have never bothered me. Ever! You bring babies into the world safely, Edward. Stop looking at it like—actually I don't even know how you're looking at this and start considering how much trust Rose and Emmett have in you. Realistically they could have asked their midwife to recommend one of her colleagues, but they've chosen you."

"Jesus, what is with you and the abusing lately? I'm going to be a battered husband." With that, I knew he was back to normal. Freak out over.

"Shut up and drive."

Edward parked in the Doctor's lot, and we both headed inside, our hands linked the whole time.

We'd just cleared the automatic doors when Edward's phone rang. I caught a glimpse of the number and recognized it as the hospital, Edward did too. "Doctor Cullen?"

I was standing just close enough to overhear the conversation.

" _Sorry to bother you on your day off, Doctor Cullen."_ A clearly frazzled nurse rushed out. _"Rosalie Cullen was just admitted, and she insisted I contact you. She's clearly in active labour, but she refuses to let anyone check to see how far she's progressed."_

We couldn't keep from chuckling under our breath. That definitely sounded like something Rose would do.

"What room is she in?" Edward wasn't on the phone much longer as the nurse told him where to go.

Edward navigated the hospital like a seasoned pro, pulling me with him all the way. I'd assumed we'd have seen Rose first, but as he pulled me into a room labeled 'Staff Only', I was clearly mistaken.

"We're not going to Rose?"

Edward shook his head, pulling me with him until he reached a row of lockers. He let go of my hand, and quickly started removing his clothes. His abs caught my attention as he shrugged off his shirt. "Knowing Rose, she's probably been in full labour longer than she's let on."

I nod my head in agreement, giving Edward a little space so he could continue getting dressed. He stepped quickly into the set of scrubs he had in his locker. Then he reached for a few pens, his stethoscope and lab coat.

"You're coming into the birthing suite with me. Just so you know." Edward said cheekily, handing me the other set of scrubs he had in his locker.

"Wait, what?" He didn't give me a chance to question him as he started pulling off my cardigan and sliding a scrub top over my head. "Edward, hold on a second."

He didn't though, as he slid down my jeans, pushing me to sit on the bench seat so he could yank them off me. He clearly forgot about my shoes, as he groaned, pulling them off.

"You're wearing these jeans and they look sexy as all hell, but fuck, B. Are these things painted on, or something?" He groaned, finally getting them off after a few minutes. The scrubs he helped me into were a lot more comfortable than the jeans he'd taken off me. "Shoes, quickly."

Standing me up, Edward and I were now dressed in matching scrubs. In any other setting, I would feel ridiculous, but in a hospital, it felt pretty normal.

"We should head over, before she actually manages to kill Emmett." I laughed, following Edward as he rushed out of the room, not before shoving both of our belongings in his locker.

"Wait, you're exaggerating, right?" He shook his head before pulling away a little. "Edward?"

He didn't respond to me, he simply knocked on a door before entering. "Edward?!"

He wasn't serious, was he?

"Where the bloody hell have you been, Edward?!" echoed through the opened door, and I feared he may have been somewhat truthful.

I followed Edward into the room, closing the door behind me. "Bella and I got here as fast as we could. You two didn't exactly give us a heads up that you were driving home, least of all that you were in labour."

"How the hell was I supposed to know? This is my first baby, I thought I was gassy."

I wanted to laugh out loud, because it was such a Rose response. Emmett was just standing at her bedside, white as a sheet and sweating bullets. He was muddied and grass stained from his last game, and his skin was tinged red from the sun.

"Emmett?" Edward then questioned his brother. Still Emmett remained silent.

"If I start asking you some clinical questions, Rosalie, will you answer them?" She shrugged at Edward's question.

I guess she's even more stubborn now than ever.

Edward went into doctor mode, asking how long she'd been in pain. How frequent her contractions were. If she wanted drugs His last question, was if he could check her progress.

I stood up by Emmett, so I could lend him strength. Edward moved between Rose's legs, shifting the blanket once covering her lap. I watched the crease in his eyebrow as he checked to see how dilated she was.

"Rose, how long have you been experiencing contractions?" His voice was firm. He was in Doctor Cullen mode. "I need you to tell me the truth too, and don't down play it."

"Before we left to go up north, I had slight back pain. I didn't really think anything of it though, I mean, I was bending over a lot and packing Em's and my bags." Still she continued on, rather blasé. "I slept a bit in the car too, so again I didn't really care much. It never got worse, it was just constant pressure. My stomach became tight every now and again, but I thought it was just the food. There was barbecue, hangi, boil-up, seafood, and fresh steamed pudding—it was all so good."

Edward snapped off his gloves, running his hands through his hair. "Have you felt any need to push?"

"No, why?"

"Rose, you're so far along. How are you not in agony, right now?"

Emmett let out a moan and I realized how she'd been channeling the pain she'd been in. She had a death grip on his hand, and she'd been squeezing it this whole time.

"No one said I wasn't in pain! I've been waiting for your dumbass to get here." She bit out, her face showing for the first time the pain she must be in.

"You're fully effaced and dilated. I'm sorry, but you're well past the point for pain relief. I need to get help in here, so we can get you ready for delivery."

It was wrong to feel turned on in a birthing suite with Rosalie about to deliver her daughter, but I couldn't help it. Doctor Cullen had always had an effect on me!

Except I was in a birthing suite, and there was going to be blood and… I needed a seat.

I couldn't see blood, or smell it, but the idea of Rosalie pushing a tiny human body out of her had my stomach turning. I heard my name, but I don't know who said it.

My eyes blinked against the harsh fluorescent lighting as I fought to open my eyes. A familiar scent wrapped around and soothed me quickly as I felt Edward's heart pump against my cheek.

"That's the third time you've fainted on me, Bella." Edward said worried.

"Rose?" I panicked, moving to sit up too quickly as I pitched to the side. Edward only just stopped us from falling off the paper covered exam table.

"Hey, B, settle." Was cooed against the crown of my head as Edward let out a tired sigh. "She's fine, so is their daughter. Nine pound, eight ounces, and she's all Rose."

"What happened?"

I wrapped myself tighter around, Edward, feeling like he needed comforting.

"You worked yourself up and fainted. Emmett caught you, and I had to watch an orderly carry you out. You came to before you even left the room, but I couldn't come to you, Bella. Rose was too far along and wanted to push. I only just got scrubbed in as it were."

Edward's arms tightened around me. "Why did I wake up here, then?"

"The orderly helped you to your feet again, except your dumb luck kicked in and you walked into the door frame." He shook his head. "I don't know why I thought you may be a little more coordinated when pregnant than you are normally. To be fair though, I think you were in such a hurry to get away from Rose giving birth, you weren't paying attention. Seeing you faint three times is three too many, B. Jesus, but watching you knock yourself out, I wanted to scoop you up and lock you in a zorb until the twins are born."

My eyes about popped out of my head because I knew he wasn't being facetious. He meant every word. Edward may have been needy when he was tired or upset, but scared and protective Edward, he'd stop at nothing. He'd put me in a plastic bubble—zorb if he could, and with a sister like Alice, he'd probably find one too. I wouldn't have been surprised to see a zorb in the backseat of his car.

Edward kissed the same spot on my forehead, gingerly leaving his lips there. It was then I could feel the exceptional tender spot. It was practically vibrating in pain.

"Ow."

He pulled back, "They gave you something for the pain, but I guess it's still tender." I nodded my head, screwing up my face a little. "Wanna see Rose's mini-me, will that help?"

Logically I knew it wouldn't, but I really did want to see her. Edward was helping me to my feet before I had a chance to respond.

Edward walked me through the halls of the hospital, his arms slung lazily over my shoulder as he held me to his side. Clingy Edward had returned, and if I wasn't mistaken, he was probably still a little spooked too.

It didn't take us long to get to Rose's room. To be fair, this place was Edward's second home, and he'd also played a part in designing her room.

According to Edward, Carlisle probably had more clout than he did, but that didn't mean Edward wasn't respected. The Cullen name still meant something in this hospital.

Edward knocked gently, his knuckles rasping softly against the wood of the door frame, before he pushed it open. "Hi." He whispered, peeking through. "Bella and I were hoping to see the baby."

"Come in." A tired Rose responded.

Excited, I followed Edward in, clutching the back of his scrubs. He'd changed them. Whereas the previous set he'd worn had been pale green, this set was dark blue.

Rosalie and Emmett were squeezed onto the bed. Emmett wrapped around his tiny little family, protectively as he gazed down at his daughter, his knuckles brushing softly against her rose-tinted cheeks.

"Wow." I whispered in awe, "She's beautiful."

And she really was. I won't lie. Despite what people say, I think newborn babies can be ugly. Some are born all wrinkled and squirmy looking. Some have funny shaped heads from coming through the vagina. Some are too skinny, or they're covered in teeny tiny baby hairs, or they're a weird color. I don't love them less, but that was my opinion.

This little girl however, was born looking like a small porcelain doll. Though her eyes were closed, I could make out long, dark eyelashes resting against her cheeks. Tiny wisps of blonde hair, covered the top of her head, and her little lips rested in a bee stung pout as she dozed in her mother's arms.

"Would you like to hold her, Bella?" I nodded my head enthusiastically as both Rose and Emmett smiled. The baby's tiny little swaddled body was gently placed in my arms. She was heavier than the tiny bundle suggested, but far too light at the same time.

I pulled her close taking a moment just to breathe in her baby smell.

"You two do good work." Edward said, as he wrapped himself around me, looking down at our niece.

"Genes like ours, Ed, there was no way we could go wrong."

I shook my head. "Way to be humble, Em."

"Come on, you can't tell me I'm wrong. That little girl right there is the greatest achievement of my life—actually an equal first." He stared lovingly at Rose, "Rosie, a spot she shares with you."

This vulnerable side of Emmett very rarely came out in front of company, but I imagined he was still a little emotional. Becoming a father can't be easy; going from only having to worry about yourself and your partner—who was fiercely independent and strong willed to having a child, who was far too young to take care of herself and completely dependent on you was serious business.

I leaned back into Edward, just as he tightened his arms around me; his chin resting on my shoulder. He sighed. "This will be us, soon."

"I know. It's scary to think about. Em's freaking out over one." I ran the back on my index finger against her cheek. It was so amazingly soft. "You and I will have two of them. They're going to be so vulnerable, and will need us for everything."

I felt his lips run gently across my shoulders. "With you, B, I know that I'll be able to handle anything."

"Do you want to hold her?" I asked, realizing I'd been hogging the baby.

Edward didn't say anything, but I knew the answer was yes. She looked so tiny as I slid her into his waiting arms. It was almost crazy to think about how small she must have looked in Emmett's arms.

Watching Edward with babies always made my ovaries ache, and this was no different. He looked down at the baby with so much wonderment and awe, it was hard to explain.

" _You're the prettiest baby I've ever seen._ " He whispered sweetly before speaking up a little. "Have you picked a name for her?"

Just as intrigued as Edward, I looked up from the baby at Rose and Emmett. If I'm being honest, she wasn't the easiest sight to look away from.

"We were hoping you two were going to be the first here." Rose said tiredly with a quick glance at Emmett.

"Why's that?" Edward asked just before Emmett could say anything else.

Rolling his eyes, I could see Emmett was fighting biting Edward's head off. Rose grabbed his hand, snuggling it up against her cheek.

"Because we figured her God parents should be the first to know their God Daughter's name." It was lucky that Edward was holding the baby because I was so shocked by the news I most certainly would have dropped her.

"Why us?" I found myself asking. "What about Jasper and Alice?"

"Its not that we don't trust them, because we do, but they're not in that place in their lives yet. If something happens to us, we won't know if it will happen now, or ten years from now. We want to know that no matter what, or when, she'll be looked after."

"You don't even need to ask, Em. You know that, both of you do." Edward said, a little choked up. He coughed a little, clearing his throat. "Uh, so what is this beautiful little girl's name?"

"Toni Marie Cullen, she's—,"

"Tony?"'

"Marie?"

Edward and I asked together.

"How did you know my middle name?" I continued, because I needed to know. I didn't think anyone other than Edward knew.

Emmett and Rose looked a little sheepish, but the adoration for their daughter far outweighed that. "I might have asked your dad when he was here."

"You just came out and asked my dad what my middle name was?" I asked Emmett, highly amused.

"What? No! I asked him how he handled being the father to a daughter. How did he let you go out and do your own thing? How did he not lose his hair?" He shrugged, and really I had nothing to say to that. "How they named you eventually came up somewhere in there, and it stuck, Bub."

"You're naming your daughter after us. That's, thank you. Just, thank you."

"Well we figured at least we'd have someone else to blame if she ends up fucked up." Rose joked, well, I hoped she was joking.

I looked back at little Toni as she lay sound asleep in her Unc—God Father's arms. Looking over, I couldn't help but tap her nose with the end of my finger. I was shocked when she opened her eyes and more so when I saw how fair they were.

"Aren't those the prettiest eyes I've ever seen?" And they were!

"Em, my bro. Maybe you should have asked Charlie to teach you how to shoot a gun." Edward joked. I couldn't help but laugh at his expense.

Oh poor Emmett, I'll pray for him when Toni's a teenager.

We didn't stay too much longer as Toni got fussy and starting rooting around in Edward's chest.

Rose was still new to breastfeeding, so a lactation specialist arrived to help. We didn't want to intrude and left quietly.

Tomorrow they'd have the whole family here, with all the bells and whistles. They needed this time for themselves.

With one last look at the beautiful little family, we left the hospital, and headed home.

When I had hopped a plane to New Zealand, I don't know what I expected to find here. I thought the country was smaller than it actually was, and I didn't think the people would be anywhere near as nice as they are. Most of all, I didn't think I'd find myself a home here, and a family.

I found myself here in Aotearoa—The Land of the Long White Cloud, and I have never been happier of the person I have become.

I'd never tell Emmett, but if it wasn't for him, I don't know where I would have ended up.

* * *

 **I know this is a shorter chapter than normal and a lot of you were anticipating a wedding, you guys get a baby instead and the sexes of the twins.**

 **Rose is such a trooper!**

 **Touch football is a Summer sport played a lot in Australia and New Zealand. If you ever seen a Rugby game (League or Union) its got roots from both sports, but instead of tackling the player with the** **ball, you touch them. Its an exhausting game. So much running!**

 **If you're interested you could YouTube 'Touch Football' and you'll probably get quite a few hits.**

 **The end of this little ditty is sneaking up on me. You've probably got one more chapter and then some outtakes. I haven't decided if the next chapter is going to just be the epilogue or not.**

 **All the same, I'd love to hear your thoughts!**

 **Nic.**


	10. Chapter 10

**You know, I have a few people to thank for their support when it comes to this fic. I wrote it because I missed writing and I needed something to work on. The number of Kiwiwards were so few, I decided to try and write one and see where it ended up. The number of you, you've loved this fi, I thank you. Musette, Fran, Miranda, Thank you.** **EdwardsFirstKiss, my first beta, thank you for making me regret never using a beta in the past.**

 **Well, here's the last chapter. I don't know if you're getting an epilogue or some futuretakes and outtakes. Most of this fic was pre-written and sitting in the Cloud for close to five years before it hit FFN.**

 **Anyway, enjoy!**

* * *

Watching Rose turn into a mother was a sight to behold. I'd never been around babies, but with the Cullen's, I struggled to. Imagine another life. Toni rarely ever cried, or fussed. She was a good baby, very calm, and she was obsessed with Edward.

I loved watching the way her eyes lit up with recognition when she saw him, her little fists grabbing at the air. She wasn't very vocal, not that I really had any comparison, but I expected crying and screaming. Something.

I still don't know if it was due to my own pregnancy, or this family, but holding my god daughter for the first time had changed something in me.

I was going to be a Mom. Someone's mother. Well, two someone's, and soon too.

My pregnancy was passing me by so quickly, I was scared I'd blink and miss something. My body filled out too quickly, stretch marks appeared on my stomach like a road map to my son and daughter, and slowly everything below my neck turned into a body that wasn't just mine anymore.

Then there was Edward. He'd been my everything for so long, and now it felt like he was so much more.

When he found out we were having one of each, he had burst into tears as he watched the monitor, his fingers tracing the distinct lines of each of our children. It was probably the most touching thing I'd ever experienced.

We'd opted against telling the family the babies' sexes and planned on letting them know once they were born. We may have known, but we wanted the family to be surprised.

Warm hands snaking around my waist, and laying on each of the children, had me leaning back into Edward's embrace. He kissed the spot at the base of my neck. "How're they treating you today, Mama?"

Like they'd been planning this, each of the twins gave a short kick to their father's hands. I'd been told they could hear sounds, and they were always all about Edward.

"They were sleeping until you turned up." I moved Edward hands, so he could feel how much they were moving around.

"It's hard to believe that they'll be here in about eight weeks."

I spun around in Edward's arms, reaching up a little so I could wrap my arms around his neck. He leaned down, so his forehead was resting against mine. "I can't wait until we can meet them."

"What do you think they'll be like?" Edward pulled away a little, a dreamy, ponderous expression on his face.

"I don't actually know." He whispered quietly, though there was a complete wonderment in his voice. "It's so hard to imagine what they'll be like. They could take after me, or my family, or you—don't take this the wrong way, but I really don't want them to take after your mother."

I pushed him, though the smirk on his face let me know that he was just being a smart ass. Then again, I didn't want either of them to take after my Mom either. We were in a better place now, you might even call us friends, but that didn't mean I wanted my kids to take after her.

A tiny part of me is still not one hundred percent certain that she's not a sociopath. If she ever visits my kids, they will be supervised visits-by the whole Cullen clan, and maybe Charlie too.

"You're a dick. I thought you were on better terms with Renee."

He nodded his head quickly. "I'm on better terms with her, yes. That doesn't mean I've forgotten the way she treated you, B. I never want our kids to feel that way about us—now, back to the happy topic. I really hope the kids take after you."

I screwed my face up at that. Jesus, please no. I wanted my kids to do whatever they wanted, which included sports and music. If they took after me, the likelihood of them having that kind of dexterity was slim to none.

"Don't make that face. You're strong, smart, beautiful, driven—you're so many things, Baby. All the things I want for our kids." I ducked my head, leaning forward so my forehead rested against his chest.

One thing constantly plagued me about the twins. Our little boy was still so much smaller than his sister. I know Edward and Bree weren't worried, but I couldn't help the panic that almost always hit me. I always hoped that at our next scan he'd be the same size as his sister, but it's yet to happen.

Every scan that I've had, and I've had way too many, I've crossed my fingers and just hoped. I've been told it's nothing to worry about, because all results show that he's right on track for his gestational age, he's just small. It happens. I'm a new mom, I'm allowed to worry.

Raising my head, I looked back up into Edwards' eyes. "What if I want them to take after you? You're all of those things too, but you're more. You're athletic and musical, and a doctor."

Edward just smirked before rubbing his nose against mine.

"So long as they're healthy, Bub, I really don't care who they look like, or what interests they have. I've waited so long to be someone's Daddy, and it's so close now, I almost can't believe it."

It broke my heart to think of someone like Edward wanting for one thing in life-to be a dad- that he had to wait so long for. He was married to Tanya for years, and still he sat and waited longingly, bringing child after child safely into this world, but never having one of his own to go home to.

He hadn't even had a pet until he had bought Topaz for me.

"Just a few more weeks, and you'll have your own babies."

"It can't come soon enough." Edward's hands quickly lifted my tank top so that my whole belly was exposed and rested his hands against it. I placed my hands on top of his and a few seconds later, I felt a couple of feet mirroring their father's touch.

These kids really were Daddy's kids.

As the weeks passed, I grew. I was in my last trimester and all of a sudden my belly just popped. It only seemed to grow bigger with every passing day.

Though I wasn't really entertaining the idea of more children with Edward, because I wanted to have these two first, I had no intention of doing it in the summer again; especially when apparently New Zealand was experiencing one of its hottest summers in decades.

I was so happy to live so close to the beach because the only good thing about temperature this hot was that I could toddle down to the beach and sit in the shallows to cool off.

I was leaning back on my elbows as the waves crashed over me when I was shocked out of my musing by Topaz plowing into me.

"Jesus, Topaz settle!" Edward panted as he ran through the water, grabbing Topaz's collar quickly so he could settle her down. Topaz was still bounding around rambunctiously, which made me a little worried. I clearly wasn't the only one. "Topaz, enough!"

Though he was scolding the dog, I couldn't help but squeeze my thighs together. The authoritative tone in his voice made me want him. It was a terrible time to be on a crowded beach surrounded by families.

Once Edward finally had Topaz settled, he checked me over. Fortunately enough she hadn't gotten too close and he didn't find anything. "She worried me for a second there."

I smiled, leaning against Edward's side. He quickly wrapped his arm around my shoulders as I tucked myself against him. "I figured I'd find you down here when you weren't at home. Too hot?"

His body heat wasn't helping me cool down, but I wanted his cuddles more than I wanted to be cool. He reached over, resting his hands on my stomach. "It won't be long now until they're here with us."

"It still feels like a dream, you know?" I didn't. Not really. But I think that had a lot to do with the fact that I'd never dreamed of being a mother. Not the same way Edward had wanted to be a dad.

I still hadn't received the whole story behind that, and I don't know that I ever want to. The only reason Edward wouldn't share something like that probably had a lot to do with the pain it had caused him.

I never wanted to see him in pain.

Alice once asked me how I could handle knowing that he was keeping something in his past from me, but I didn't feel like he was keeping something from me.

He was allowed to protect himself, and it didn't really have an impact on our relationship. I don't think it ever did. It was as if Edward had filed that part of his life away in a vault that he no longer had the key to, and that was okay with me.

"The moment I hopped off the plane and jumped into that cab with your brother, that's when my dream started." I felt Edward kiss the crown of my head, and I couldn't help but smile.

He always made me smile.

"Hey B, can I ask you something?" I nodded my head, too comfortable and relaxed to poke at the fact he'd already asked me a question.

"You've never asked about what happened with Tanya and me, why?" I didn't want to offend him by saying it was because I didn't care, but maybe that was the wrong sentiment. I cared about all of his experiences because they shaped him into the man that I love.

"I guess I didn't want to dwell on the stain in your life. I know what she did to you shaped you somewhat into who you are today, but I never want to see the pain in your eyes that I saw when you looked at her at Uncle Paora's Tangi. I guess I figured if I never asked, I'd never have to see you like that."

I sat up, moving so I was sitting Indian style and looking directly at Edward. I was a little worried when he was more focused on the bite marks in Topaz's leash. "Edward, if the things I've heard from Rose and your Mom are anything to go by, I know it was bad and you were really hurt. According to them, you existed as this whole other person. I don't like thinking about you like that—I guess, I was protecting myself from having to see you like that, but you too and because I didn't want you to relive that, any of it, by having to tell your story again."

We were always prone to serious conversations in the most peculiar places. Why would that change now?

"I—I don't know what to say to that, Baby." Edward said, his eyes slightly red as he met my gaze. "In short, she broke me. She crushed my dreams for a future and pretty much shit all over them, and our marriage vows. For the smallest amount of time, I had everything that I wanted, and then it was gone. There's more to it, if you want all the gory details. Do you know what my biggest dream has ever been?"

Yes. Of course I knew, because I was helping him make that dream come true.

I grabbed his hands and put them back on my stomach where I could feel the twins and held them there. "This, this is your dream. You've always wanted to be a Daddy."

He nodded his head, looking up at the clouds, as he sniffled.

"It is, there's nothing I've ever wanted more in my life than to be someone's Daddy." He was still looking up, and I didn't like that. I moved my hands from the top of his and held his face, tilting his gaze down until he met my eyes.

"I know. I think I've always known that. I also know that you're going to be an amazing father. I never wanted kids Edward, ever, not until I met you. Even before you told me, from the moment I saw you with Claire when we were at Uncle's tangi, I wanted to have your baby."

Edward just looked at me, I'd never seen him so focused and determined. "Marry me, today, tomorrow? I know you wanted to wait until the twins were born—I know. I just, I want you to be my wife."

"Yes. Always, yes." He leaned forward, kissing my lips in one of the sweetest kisses of my life.

Once we were home and showered, something that took the two of us far longer than normal, we jumped online and looked into wedding licenses and where we could get married.

Neither of us cared where we went, just that we wanted to go somewhere as soon as possible. The easiest option for the two of us was a registry office wedding. Edward called both offices in Auckland to see if either had space. The city office did, and within an hour, we'd completed all the required forms and locked in a time.

Unfortunately we couldn't get in as soon as we wanted. There was a mandatory three business day wait for a marriage license. Then again, if I was only waiting three more days, I could handle it.

Edward and I could plan a proper wedding later, but for now, we needed to do this for us.

There was a chance everyone would be upset later, but we could handle that. A part of me wanted this too.

There was a small part of me that wanted to share the same surname as my children. Even Topaz's vet had her listed as Topaz Cullen. The dog had taken Edward's name before I could.

Oh well, I was only three days away from being married to the love of my life. Three days really seemed small compared to the few months I had left of this pregnancy, or the forever our union meant.

Yeah, three days was nothing.

Sitting in the waiting room at the courthouse as our officiate finalized everything and it wasn't as nerve wracking as I had imagined. There wasn't an ounce of doubt in my mind that this was the right decision, and as Edward squeezed my hand as he held it between both of his I knew I would never regret this decision.

I would however regret my impatience. My pregnancy had made my paranoia around timeliness exacerbate to new levels. We only needed to be here fifteen minutes before our appointment and yet, I'd freaked out and dragged Edward into the car so that we would be 'on time'. We ended up being an hour early.

"Hey, Edward?" I asked, looking up into his face.

He met my eyes with a smile on his face, "Yes, My Love?"

I shook my head at his smart ass. He'd pretty much been humoring me and all of my 'pregnancy quirks', as he'd started calling them.

"You're still okay with this? Us getting married here, without the family?"

His brow quirked and he smirked. "B, shouldn't I be asking you that? Remember, this was my choice. I asked you to do this with me?"

"I know." How will we explain this to them? "They're your family, Edward. Your Mom, your Dad, your brother and your sister—also Jasper and Rosalie. I just wanted to make sure that you weren't having second thoughts about getting married this way."

I couldn't help but yelp as Edward pulled me across the seat so I was sitting sideways on his lap. "They've seen me get married once, I had the whole shebang. The church, the thousands of dollars' worth of flowers and centerpieces, an expensive bar tab and food I could barely pronounce. I know they'll be upset that they weren't here, but we're going to give them a massive wedding and reception, eventually. We can even invite Charlie and Sue, Leah and Seth, even your Mum and Phil if you want them here. This is just a ceremony, B, because we're united here." He held our clasped hands so that they were clutched between our chests, somewhere near our hearts.

"You know I still want to see photos from that dog and pony show."

Edward scoffed, shaking his head as he kissed the crown of mine. "Sorry, Love. They've all been destroyed."

I pulled back so I could look into his eyes to see if he was telling the truth. Surely Esme wouldn't have destroyed all of them. She at least should have kept the ones of Edward and her family…right?

The way his lip curled slightly into a cheeky little smirk, I knew he was lying. I shoved him in the shoulder. "You can be such a dick."

He lauded loudly, his chest vibrating with the sound. As someone shushed, he buried his face in my neck, still chuckling.

"Well look at you two." A familiar warm voice said, making Edward and me look up.

Peter and Charlotte were smiling down at us, both dressed for the occasion. Charlotte was dressed in a lovely, khaki slip style dress that fell to her knees, while Peter was dressed in black dress pants and a long sleeve button up. He'd left the top couple of buttons undone.

We'd caught up with the couple a few times for drinks at the local pub; I'd normally seen them dressed down for work, sometimes in jeans and a top. Seeing them dressed as they were, reminded me of just how strikingly good looking a couple they were.

With their athletic frames, striking eyes and hair that favored red over brown, they were stunning. Especially the way that dress hung on Charlotte's frame. I was body confident, but I definitely had body envy.

"Thank you two so much for doing this." Edward said, standing quickly and helping me to my feet.

As Edward greeted Charlotte, I went to Peter, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek, before doing the same to Charlotte. Edward and Peter did the whole hand shake, man-hug thing, but it lasted longer than normal as Peter whispered in Edward's ear. When they pulled away, they were both smiling brightly.

I looked at Edward, wondering if he'd share, 'later' he mouthed.

"So, I know we're early, which makes you two _really_ early." Peter announced with a cheeky grin.

I blushed, looking at the clock by the counter, noting that we still had twenty minutes before our appointment.

"We were getting angsty and Topaz was acting up because of it, so we figured we might as well come here." I looked at Edward with wide eyes.

It wasn't a complete lie; Topaz had been acting weird this morning. I hadn't stopped to think that she may have been reacting to my anxious energy. I owed her a massive treat when we got home, and a nice long walk too…Maybe, Edward too.

"That makes sense." Peter said with a shrug. Just as we were getting ready to sit back down, our officiate came down the hall and asked if we were okay to go through the ceremony early.

No one hesitated as we followed behind her. She ran through a couple of things and we had previously practiced saying our vows back and forth. I'd never felt so sure about anything in my life.

"Okay, Isabella, please repeat after me." The officiate led after a quick greeting and running us through a briefing of what to expect.

I didn't hesitate as I repeated after her. "I vow that I do not know of any legal objections to this marriage between myself Isabella Swan and Edward Cullen." Everything that I repeated after that was a blur. I was too stunned by the look in Edward's eyes. They were so bright; practically radiating the love he felt toward me, I hoped mine showed him the same.

It only took a short few minutes, but they felt like the shortest minutes of my life, and before I knew it we were signing our marriage certificate, and then Peter and Charlotte were signing as our witnesses.

We were handed a gift, a small token of our union, before we were congratulated, and just like that, we were married.

"Come on Dr. and Mrs. Cullen; let's grab lunch, on us. There's a lot for us to congratulate you for." Charlotte announced with a pronounced nod toward my stomach.

We hadn't intentionally not told them, we just hadn't gotten around to it. They'd gone on a cruise when we'd found out and had been flat out busy since they had gotten back. It'd been a good three months since we'd seen them. I hadn't even realized I was pregnant back then.

"Sure, can we walk from here, or should we grab the car?" I asked excitedly. It was getting close to lunch and considering how early I'd awakened and had eaten breakfast, I was getting hungry.

Edward thread my arm through his, taking the gift bag from me as he looked over at Peter.

"It's not too far; it's just around the corner. That's not too far for you, is it, B?" I smiled at his thoughtfulness.

"Not at all, lead the way."

Peter wasn't kidding; the restaurant was maybe half a block away, around the corner. We walked leisurely, finally hearing all about their cruise. The way they talked about it had me wanting to go on one. Though I guess it would have to wait for a few years. However, I didn't really like the idea of going on a long cruise, when I could barely handle being in the car for more than half an hour.

The place Charlotte and Peter had picked was gorgeous. It was modern, but rustic with exposed brick and industrial style pendant lamps. It had a very intimate atmosphere, with the most amazing aromas filling the dining area.

I wasn't sure if they'd been told or not, but Thai food was just about my favorite thing to eat. Before I even saw the menu, I knew exactly what I was ordering.

"How'd you guys find this place?" I couldn't help but ask as I shuffled into the booth seat.

Charlotte looked at Peter wistfully. I settled into Edward's side so I could be comfortable as they retold whatever history this place had for them. "We stumbled on this restaurant by accident. This is actually where we had our first date; it's also where Pete proposed."

"I doubt you're blushing like that simply because you had your first date here." I said with a smile as Edward squeezed me to his side. I had a feeling he knew the story, or at least part of it. He and Pete were quite close.

Close enough that he'd thought to ask him to stand up as a witness for us.

And then the story began as Pete retold how he'd spent months befriending Charlotte, so he could build up the courage to ask her out. After about four months, he'd finally managed to get her to say yes, though it was only for coffee. Once they'd started talking their coffee date dragged out and before they knew it, it was dinner time. They wound up walking toward whatever restaurant was open, and the rest is history.

"That's much better than our story." I joked, elbowing Edward. It still made me laugh when I thought about it.

"Yeah, what happened there?" Pete asked, pointing between Edward and me. "We've never really talked about it, we hooked up for dinner Ed, and next thing I know you're bringing, B, as your _girl_."

I shook my head; I guess we hadn't shared that story with them. I looked up at Edward, wondering where he wanted to start, and he just smiled.

"Did you ever meet, Uncle Paora?" Edward asked of both of them.

"He gave that kick ass speech at your twenty first birthday and twisted your yardy for you, right?" Peter asked, while Charlotte looked confused. I guess she hadn't been at Edward's twenty first.

"Yeah, him. He was—,"

"Was?" Edward nodded his head, and Charlotte and Peter offered their condolences.

"Thanks—anyway. You know how useless I am with women, and Bella is, well at the time I considered her completely out of my league—still do." I shook my head at him. He was such an idiot. "But, ah, B was there when Aunty Ripeka called and told me about Uncle. I—I didn't take it well and pretty much broke down. B was there for me. She let me cry; she asked me to tell her about him and was a pillar of strength while I pretty much just broke down. I'd only known her about three months, and all of this was so new. I was too chicken shit to ask her to come up to the Tangi, but Mum asked her for me. I eventually got over myself and in front of the toilets up at the Marae I asked B to be mine and here we are."

"Pussy." Pete said slyly under his breath.

Before we could say anything else, the waitress arrived. We hadn't looked at the menu yet, but Charlotte and Pete offered to order for the table. I just asked that one of the meals be a Thai green curry, I'd try everything else. Once that was sorted, Edward continued.

"After that, things happened pretty naturally. There was no pressure, nothing. So many times we thought things were too easy, being with B, the way she fits into the family, planning our future. It's always seemed too good to be true. Then B's Mum turned up and shit went crazy for a bit, and we had to shoot to the states. I actually proposed to her the morning we got back. She laughed in my face, but here we are. Married with twins on the way."

"Wow, I don't know whether to laugh or cry for you?"

I turned to Edward, a massive smile on his face. Pulling his left hand so I was holding it between both of mine, I twisted the new ring on his finger. "Laugh, everyone else does. Also, I did still say yes. I was jet lagged."

"Really though, we're so happy for you guys."

I was relaxing on the couch when Edward came running in through the front door so quickly it hit the wall with a resounding thud.

"What the hell, Edward?" I shot up startled, throwing Topaz off my lap in the process. She hit the ground with a yelp before grumbling and dawdling off into our room. She didn't even stop to greet Edward.

Edward watched her walk past him. I could tell he wanted to check on her, but whatever had him running through the door like a mad man seemed to be more important than Topaz. "I fucked up."

"What did you do?" I asked worriedly as he practically climbed over the couch so he was kneeling, facing me.

He glanced nervously over his shoulder before meeting my eyes. Why did he look so guilty?

"I forgot to take my wedding ring off when I caught up with Alice for coffee." My eyebrows practically touched my hair line as I just looked at Edward.

"What!" Before Edward could answer, the Cullen clan filed in through the door Edward hadn't closed behind him.

He hung his head, whispering a pathetic. "I'm sorry."

Damn it! We'd agreed to tell them when I had the twins. Yes, we wanted to have the ceremony only for us, but I did carry a bit of guilt. We intentionally choose not to tell them. That's rough.

Especially when you consider how close the whole family is. I'm sure they'd understand our reasoning, but, I guess I felt a bit bad. Maybe it was the baby brain making me doubt my decisions, I don't know. But then I didn't regret marrying Edward, or even my decision to marry him.

Maybe I felt guilty because I hadn't even told Charlie yet. I hadn't told anyone for that matter. All schools were out on holiday and I didn't take any students over the break because I wanted to be able to relax and enjoy my pregnancy.

We should have thought our impromptu wedding ceremony through a little more.

Too late now.

"Uh, hi." I greeted everyone with a shy wave. On the plus side, only Alice looked completely disappointed.

Rose was holding Toni, the little baby's head resting on her mom's shoulder as she slept. I was surprised to see that she was probably the least phased of everyone. "So, I hear congratulations are in order?"

I nodded my head quickly, standing from my perch and pulling Edward up with me.

"Why the rush?" Carlisle asked coolly. I turned to look at Edward, and he shrugged. How do we explain this?

Edward sighed, making me look up. I could see in his face that he was trying to find the right words.

I won't lie and say I wasn't a bit shocked when Edward asked me if I'd marry him as soon as we were able. I was most definitely very shocked. We hadn't discussed anything wedding related. I always assumed that was because we were both just happy to wait for things to evolve naturally. I'd never actually said I wanted to wait until after the twins were born, in my head it was more logical, but I'd never actually vocalized it.

"Em, don't be a dick right now, okay?" Emmett was looking at his brother mostly confused, but he nodded his head in acquiescence. "You guys all know how much I've wanted kids, right?" The family all seemed to look at each other, eyes varying shades of confusion, but they humored Edward. "Well—and I know this is old fashioned, especially today, but I always wanted to be married to my children's mother when they were brought into this world. I know you guys may not agree, and that's fine. It's just one of those things that I always wanted. Uncle probably had a lot to do with that; he was kind of old school. I mean, B, that doesn't mean I wouldn't have waited if you'd asked me to—promise. Marrying you was never something I wanted to rush because you're my forever and I—"

Edward was rambling, his cheeks and ears flushed pink from embarrassing himself in front of his family. I hated seeing him embarrassed, so I stopped him the only way I knew how. I kissed him.

His words were cut off immediately as his lips moved with mine after less than a second. As he tried to deepen the kiss, I pulled away. We'd discuss his admissions later, when we were alone. Sometimes he really was too reserved when it came to speaking his mind.

"You're my forever too, Edward." I whispered to him before looking back at the family. "Are you guys upset?"

"No, Baby, of course not." Esme soothed quickly, pulling me into a hug. "Would I have loved to have seen you two say your vowels? Damn straight, but I know the impact Uncle had on your life, Son—I'll be honest, I half expected you two to come home from the States married."

That was a shock to me.

"We had bets going, Bub—I lost." I looked up at Carlisle, his disappointment at having lost whatever their bet seemed to affect him far more than our union did.

"Wait, you guys had a bet going?"

I looked at Edward, he sounded awed and angry at the same time.

"I wasn't allowed to participate." Alice grumbled.

"Were you right?" I couldn't stop myself from asking. Alice gave me a cheeky wink. She wasn't upset that Edward had spilled the beans. She was upset because she didn't get a piece of the action.

I scanned the gathered family members to see if I could spot the winner. Other than Alice, no one looked overly impressed with themselves. "Who won?"

When everyone looked at Rose, she just smiled. The glares she received from her brother and husband let me know it was still a bit of a sore spot. Rose was Edward's best friend. They shared a bond that I couldn't understand, but appreciated all the same. She was a rock for him, more so than his own brother sometimes, and I think that had a lot to do with Tanya.

Female intuition probably had her picking up on things that his brother may have missed.

If it hadn't been for Rose, I still don't know if I'd have stood up to Renee. So I could only imagine how many times she'd been an unwavering force backing Edward, sometimes even when he didn't even know he needed it.

"Well, good for you Rose, now give me the baby." Edward laughed, gently lifting Toni from Rose's shoulder and taking her into his own arms. She barely even stirred, as he positioned her against his chest, her little head resting on his shoulder.

She was a great sleeper. She must have gotten that from her mother, from what I'm told, Emmett was a nightmare child. He had colic, never slept and always wanted to be held. Carlisle likes to say they spoiled him too much. Then again, he was their first born. Esme and Carlisle probably had no idea what they were doing.

Peeking over Edward's shoulder, I couldn't help but brush my knuckles against the little girl's cheeks. It wouldn't be long until we'd be holding our own children.

I couldn't help but feel completely overwhelmed as I cast my eyes around the room, taking in all of Edward's friends and family.

It meant so much for Edward to finally become a dad; I didn't want to rob him of this opportunity to have a baby shower. The birth of our children was definitely worth celebrating, but I never really understood the appeal of baby showers. But Edward had been dropping less than subtle hints about a baby shower that I ended up asking him if he wanted to have partner friendly baby shower. He repeatedly showed me how happy he was about being included.

As I watched his cousins, Aunts and Uncles, all congratulate him, I knew I'd made the right decision. Aunty Ripeka had made the trip and so had Emily. In that moment, I knew what we would name our son.

Edward wrapped his arms around my stomach, placing a soft kiss against my shoulder. "Hey Mama."

I settled back into his embrace, shifting his hands a little so he could feel each of the twins. They'd finally settled after all the excitement of the day, though I doubted they'd be out for too much longer. Edward had that effect on them.

"Hey, are you having fun?" I felt him nodding his head against my shoulder.

"Having the whole family here—thank you for letting me be a part of this. I know it's normally something for women, but I really appreciate it that you've let me be here."

I turned around so that I could face him and look into his eyes. "You really think I wanted to go through all of this?" I gestured to all the crazy that was going on around us. The Point had been overrun with neutral baby related gifts, balloons and decorations, with more people than I had in my own family. "There are more people in this room than I have family members."

Edward quickly looked around; his smile brightening as he randomly met the eyes of the attendees. Everyone here was genuinely happy for him-us. There were a lot of 'finally's' and 'happy for you man's', being tossed around. This had been a long time coming. I was a little overwhelmed to say the least, but for Edward, I would endure it. "This is probably one of the happiest family gatherings we've had in years."

"In my wildest dreams, I don't think I ever could have imagined a baby shower with this many people. I'm so amazed; did you see the present table? I'm glad we only brought the basics, there are enough clothes until the twins are walking."

I'd expected a few gifts, but never this many. We'd turned the casual dining room into the gift station and had pushed together a couple of tables for people who'd bought gifts. In less than thirty minutes, we'd needed to put together a couple more tables.

You'd think that the twins were the first grandchildren with the number of gifts we'd received.

"I won't lie; I didn't expect that many gifts. We didn't ask for any gifts on the invitation." I nodded my head as I glanced at the mountainous gift table. I was happy we only had to get most if it up a few flights of stairs.

"It's a—," A sound of silverware clinking against glass cut me off, and drew my attention back to the crowd of humans. The party goers had spread themselves out throughout the foyer, dining area and the back patio. Everyone's attention was caught, and we all turned to Aunty Ripeka, as she stepped up onto a stool.

"Kia ora, Whanau," she greeted confidently, "I know I didn't organise this party. Those praises go to our new grandmother, Esme, and you've done an amazing job." Everyone cheered and clapped for Esme, "today I stand here incredibly proud, but also sad that Paora isn't here with me, but we'd always agreed that the day our boy was blessed with children, we'd give them their first taonga. Back then we never thought we'd also be welcoming our boy's beautiful wahine into the world too."

My Te Reo was still limited, but I knew enough to understand that Aunty Ripeka wanted to bless both our children and myself with Taonga. I won't lie and say I'd never wanted a Taonga of my own, because I had. But I'd picked up enough to know that the stunning pendants that each of the Cullen's, and a great majority of their extended family wore, weren't the types of pieces that they bought for themselves.

I hadn't even seen them yet, and the very idea was making me tear up. I knew that the Cullen's had accepted me whole heartedly and with no reservations, but to be accepted by Aunty Ripeka, who meant so much to Edward made my heart hurt with happiness.

"Come on B, Ed." Emily ushered, grabbing Edward and me by the hand and pulling us through the crowd so we were standing with Aunty. Emily quickly dug through her handbag and pulled out four small, flax, woven gift bags—kite. They were each about the size of a small coin purse, and masterfully woven into a small pouch with handles. Two of them had little white ribbons tied around the top, while one had a golden ribbon, and the last burgundy.

Two seats were placed in front of us as we were ushered into them. Edward and I were each handed one of the bags with the white ribbons on them. I looked at Edward confused. "Open them guys." Emily pushed, practically vibrating with excitement.

Untying the ribbon gently, I upturned the back and tipped out a small velvet pouch. I rested the bag in my lap the best I could, so I could untie the little pouch and fished out the contents.

In my hand lay the most amazing pendant I'd ever seen. It was about three or four inches tall. It had a bird type head, but the body that was more like a snake forming almost a figure eight. It had paua shell as its eyes and what looked like a hand with three fingers. There was a pattern carved into the bottom on a bias that looked like unfurling ferns, I think the design was called kowhai.

Rotating in my seat, I held the pendant delicately in my hand to show Edward, as he did the same. He held a very similar pattern in his hand, though his for whatever reason looked slightly more feminine.

"I don't know if you ever knew this about Uncle, baby, but he was a master carver. For years he travelled over Northland, carving and sharing his craft with as many people as he could. When we bought the farm, he didn't really have the time anymore, and only took on smaller pieces for the whanau. These are two of the last Pounamu Taongo he ever made. Unfortunately I don't know where he got the pounamu from, but I do know that those are Manaia."

Clutching the pendant in one hand, I grabbed Edward's hand and squeezed. Uncle Paora wasn't here with us today, and his presence in his life was missed by Edward every day, but with pieces of Uncle, it's almost like having him here. At least, I hoped that's the comfort that Edward was getting.

I heard Edward sniffle a little, and couldn't help but tear up myself as he fought back tears. "Uncle." He whispered lowly under his breath, but Aunty Ripeka kept going, as she and Emily both wrapped their arm around Edward's chair as he slowly fell apart.

"Paora would have been so proud of you, Edward. You've given him so many reasons to be proud, and you'll keep doing that and being the man he helped raise you to be. Before he died, he carved these. He told me to hold on to them until our boy needed them—at the time I didn't know what he meant, but I trusted him. Son, you know what the Manaia represents, but for you Bella, I'll share the story, okay, Baby?"

I didn't hesitate as I nodded my head. As much as I'd managed to learn about the Maori culture, there was still so much that I didn't know.

The Manaia, the figure in the greenstone—pounamu—is a spiritual guardian; a

Guardian angel, to ward off danger and protect against intruders. It acts as a provider and protector over the sky, earth and sea. As my children wore their taonga, I knew they'd be protected by Uncle. He carved these for them, and for that reason he would always be with them, guiding them the same way he'd guided their father.

When Aunty Ripeka and Emily were finished explaining the significance of the design, I forced myself to stand and wrapped my arms around the both of them, the best I could anyway. Edward joined in too, squeezing us for dear life.

"Okay, now I have these too." Aunty said, pulling back and reaching behind her. She handed Edward the bag with the burgundy ribbon, and me the one with gold. I didn't hesitate as I quickly opened first the kite and then the velvet pouch. Another green stone slid out only this one looked more like two figure eights that decreased in size, with the largest loop at the bottom and the smallest at the top. I looked at Edward's to see that he was holding a white pendant, bone if I had to guess, though it looked more like a tiki design.

"Edward, your Uncle wore that every day for as long as I had known him, but he never wanted to be buried in it. Wear it, be reminded of him and protected by him. Let him be your anchor and your guide, trust him and love him now in his passing just as you did in his life."

Edward, who'd yet to stop crying quickly, pulled the pendant over his head. The three inch tiki resting near his heart—a perfect fit. He pulled the pendant to his lips kissing it briefly before letting it fall back to his chest.

"Bella, when I saw that sitting next to the other two, I knew he'd have meant for you to have it. You see, the twist symbolises the bond between two people, whether founded in friendship, love, or blood. It connects the spirits of friends, family and lovers, bringing them closer together across space and time. It's said to represent their life path. Much like the twists that may occur in life, you two will always overcome the obstacles you face and continue on your life paths together."

Never in my life had I even been given such a thoughtful or more meaningful gift.

"Tena Koe, Aunty." I said quietly, feeling more than a little overwhelmed. When cool hands pulled the pendant from my hands, I was too busy trying to keep myself from completely breaking down to stop them, until I felt those same hands fastening something around my neck.

"I love you baby girl, and Uncle would have too. Look after my boy, don't let him carry everything on his shoulders, okay." Aunty held my by the shoulders as she looked me in the eye.

Nodding my head, as I sniffled, I met her gaze. "Always."

Edward and I waited for the crowd to clear a little before we both squirrelled away and headed into his office. I had a tight grip on my son's taonga, and Edward held our daughter's. I settled into the sofa quickly, joined almost immediately by Edward. I sat the taonga on his coffee table before I pulled him to me.

He didn't say anything as he started sobbing, his shoulders shaking and he took jagged breaths.

I couldn't help but feel overwhelmed by these gifts, so I couldn't imagine how Edward was feeling, so I just held him. I could practically feel the minutes tick by as I continued to hold him, rubbing his back and hoping that my just being here for him was offering some kind of comfort.

It took about fifteen minutes before his sobs stopped and he managed to steady his breathing.

His warm hands rested on my stomach. I lifted my top so he could touch my bare skin and moved his hands so they were resting over each baby. Sitting high on my right side, a little smaller than his sister was my son, and sideway across my lower belly was our daughter.

"These guys are counting on you to share all the things that Uncle taught you, you know?" I said gently, not wanting to speak too loudly.

Edward rubbed the spots where his hands rested before leaning down and kissing both spots. "I promise I'll be a good dad to you guys my babies. You and your mum."

"You already are, Edward." His reddened, Emerald eyes met mine. They said so much, held so much emotion. I wondered how I could possibly have been so blind to his intentions for so long.

"I love you—so much." I kissed his lips instead of replying, giving him a chaste kiss. As much as I would have loved to have gone upstairs and shown him just how much he meant to me, the majority of his extended family were a few feet away. "You ready to go back now, E?"

He took a few deep breaths before nodding his head and helping me to my feet. He tugged my singlet back down over my stomach before picking up the taonga I'd placed on the coffee table.

I wasn't surprised to see him put it in the same pouch as the other one, and into his pocket. "They can stay together until the twins are born."

I simply nodded my head, not quite understanding the significance, but happy all the same. Maybe together they could work together to protect our babies and make sure they came into this world safely?

I followed Edward out of the office; I reached for his hand as soon as I pulled the office door shut behind me. I gave it a quick squeeze as I followed behind him.

Jessica, Uncle Embry's wife was the first to find us. A bright eyed Claire in his arms, who reached for Edward as soon as she saw him. Of course.

Edward didn't hesitate to reach for him and pull him into his arms. I watched him squeeze her to his chest as he breathed her in.

"You good, Bro?" Uncle Embry asked, tickling Claire under her chin. It was adorable to watch her slap his hand away.

"Yeah, I'm good. Thanks—it's just hard not having him here, I guess. It hit me when Aunty gave me the taonga."

I squeezed Edward's hand again, and he turned his head to smile down at me. I'd let him know as often as I could, that I'd always be here for him. "I know how you feel. Jess and I just found out we've got another one on the way. The first person I wanted to tell was Paora."

I took the baby from Edward quickly, so he could comfort Uncle Embry. He and Uncle were first cousins, but they'd been brought up like brothers. I quickly pecked him on the cheek, before I headed towards the party—more importantly, the snacks.

I didn't think that Edward and Uncle Embry would form the same relationship that Edward shared with Uncle Paora, but maybe they'd be able to bond a little over their experiences with Uncle.

As I walked past the snack table, I was shocked to find that Claire had drifted off to sleep in my arms. She'd grown so much since I'd last seen her, but when she saw Edward and me, she remembered us and came to us quickly. Maybe she'd been surrounded by too many people and it had finally gotten to her.

The first person to find me was, Alice. I ate through four fruit skewers. I was obsessed with the cantaloupe—rock melon, as they called it here. It so sweet and juicy, I was making a mess of it, but I didn't care.

"Edward and you always seem to end up with the babies." Alice laughed, reaching for a mini savoury pie. She dipped it quickly in ketchup before biting into it. I still struggled to accept marry the idea of savoury pies, but I'd get there, eventually. They really were tasty, especially the little potato topped ones.

"Can you grab me a potato one with ketchup, please?" I asked of Alice. They were just too far out of my reach, especially with a baby in my arms.

She handed me the pie quickly, and I didn't hesitate to bite into it. It was so good! The minced meat and gravy, topped with mashed potatoes and a bit of cheese. "How's Edward doing?"

"I left him with Uncle Embry. They're probably sharing stories about Uncle."

Alice's small hand lifted my new pendant up to her eyes, her fingers gently running over the smooth surface. "It's absolutely perfect for you."

"Thank you." I wasn't sure what else to say. But that seemed to work for Alice.

"Are you both still not going to share the sexes with us?" I shook my head at Alice, not at all surprised that she'd try to get it out of me without Edward here.

"Nice—,"

"Hey Baby." Edward greeted as he joined us without Uncle Embry. "Oh sorry, am I interrupting?"

"Nah, I was just going to find Ma." Alice disappeared quickly, leaving Edward and me in the kitchen with the food. Well, I guess this was technically the backup food, to replace dishes as they emptied in the dining room.

I came here first knowing everything I wanted would be in here.

"Seriously though, I didn't cut you guys off mid-gossip or anything, did I? I really don't want to deal with a pissy Ally once the guests clear out."

I shrugged, I mean, he hadn't, but it didn't take much for Alice to get riled up.

"Ah well, I guess I'll just have to take her word and hope she wasn't just being polite—anyway, I wanted to talk to you about something." I nodded my head. He had my attention. I shuffled Claire to my other side, her little body growing heavy. Edward noticed and quickly took her from me. If I wasn't carrying the twins, I probably would have complained that he was being a baby hog, but it really was easier to not be juggling her weight.

It was a reach, but now that I didn't have Claire in my arms, I reached over and grabbed another potato topped pie and dipped it into the sauce. I couldn't help but moan at the flavors. "What's up?"

"Uh—yeah, right. So, I think we should tell the family, once everyone's left the sexes of the babies." I'm sure the confusion was clear on my face as I looked at him.

It's not that I was completely against the idea. Myself, I really didn't mind. I loved the idea of it being our little secret, but at the same time, it was probably making it a bit harder for everyone who wanted to buy gender specific gifts.

"I'm okay with that, but what brought this on?"

He looked ponderous for a second as he rubbed Claire's back. "I don't know. I guess, other than taonga among other things, and talking to Uncle Embry. I don't see any reason to keep it a secret anymore. I mean they'll be here in l a month. I may also be sick of yellow and light green."

Sometimes he said things that reminded me of Alice.

"Okay, we can tell them when the party wraps."

I didn't realize it would take three more hours for all the guests to leave. I felt bad, but I didn't make those full three hours. Soon after I ate, I ended up disappearing upstairs and curling up on our bed with Topaz for a nap.

I was exhausted, and as much as I loved spending time getting to know more about all of Edward's cousins, Aunties, Uncles and their partners and kids, it was exhausting.

I'd slept much longer than I thought I would. By the time I woke up, the sun had finally set and the moon and stars filled the sky.

I could hear Edward in the lounge with everyone, and it sounded like they were trying to find a home for all the gifts.

I stretched, trying my best to loosen up the twinge in my back. Topaz had slept on my side, and it must have had me in a weird position.

I watched their antics from the doorway of my bedroom. Alice was a little drill sergeant with a clipboard. In the minute or so I'd been standing there, watching my living room buzzing with adults, Alice had either been scribbling notes or giving commands.

Poor Jasper was buried under piles of baby themed gift-wrap that seemed to grow as Emmett, with all the zeal of a toddler at Christmas continued to unwrap the gifts.

Rose, with a sleeping Toni draped on her lap, was working through the gift cards with Esme. This was probably something that Edward and I should have done at the party, but looking at the pile of gifts, that still seemed massive, I was glad for the help.

Carlisle, was the first one to notice me from my post, his eyebrows furrowing as he watched me. He finished stirring what I assumed was tea in a mug and crossed the room.

I was shocked when he started kneading a spot in my lower back that completely loosened up the knot that had found itself there. I couldn't help but sigh, at the instant relief it brought. I didn't realize how uncomfortable it had been until Carlisle helped relieve the tension, I couldn't help but pout when he stopped, and the pain returned.

"Edward, son, come here please?" I turned to look at Carlisle with a frown. _Don't stop!_

Edward quickly finished writing his 'Thank You' card, before joining us. "What's up?"

He quickly pecked me on the lips before pulling me, so my back was to his front and he could wrap his arms around my stomach. Out of habit, I moved his warm hands so they were each resting on a baby.

"Baby girl, looked like she was in pain." I looked at him with a furrowed brow. How did he know?

"Bella, you wear your emotions as clearly on your face as my son."

Edward turned me around so he could get a good look at me. I didn't want to tell him about the pain in my lower black. It was dumb, and I had slept funny.

"Well, whatever you think it is, you're probably over reacting, Daddy C. Promise. I just slept funny." He didn't look convinced, and neither did Edward for that matter. "You're probably just worrying after you missed Rose's symptoms."

Carlisle rubbed the back of his neck, his cheeks tinging pink. Yeah. I called it. "Still, you haven't felt any pains, any tightening of your abdomen?"

"Nope, nothing like that." He didn't look convinced, but Edward seemed buoyed. As he placed a small trail of kisses across my shoulder and up my neck, making me lean a little more heavily into him.

"I'm gonna go back and finish the teas. Would you like one, B?"

"Lemon and ginger, please." Carlisle nodded his head. He navigated our small kitchen quickly, locating my tea stash..

Edward's kisses eased a little, as he buried his nose in the crook of my neck, and just rested there. "Did we get a good haul?" I joked. Knowing that we were really going to struggle to find a home for most of them.

Edward sighed, and I could feel him nodding his head. Edward quickly turned me around, pulling me as closely as my belly would allow, and pecked me on the lips softly. With my arms around his shoulders, I stared up at his face. His bright green eyes, met mine, and he looked so happy.

I quickly dropped my gaze from his and gently lifted the new pendant I knew Edward would never take off. The carving was so perfect, pristine white with a paua shell eye. It was warm, most likely from Edward's body heat, and so smooth under my fingers, almost like it had been polished.

"You reckon he helped you find the strength to ask me to be yours?" Edward seemed shocked by the question, but recovered quickly. He wrapped his hand around mine so we were both holding his taonga.

"I certainly wouldn't put it past him."

That was my opening. "I'd like to name our son after him. It feels right, you know?"

I hadn't realized I'd dropped my gaze from Edward, until his was holding my chin, forcing my gaze to meet his. His eyes reddened a little as he looked at me with so much hope.

We hadn't really discussed names; we'd thrown a couple of ideas around, but struggled to settle on any.

We'd tossed around English names and Maori ones. You'd think having so many to choose from, we'd have agreed on a couple by now, but nothing.

"It would mean so much to me if we could, but I don't want that to be his first name—I want him to have something that's his own." Of course he did. "Besides, I'd like all of his family to be able to say his name."

I shook my head, Charlie wasn't that bad! Edward must have read the expression on my face. "Okay, okay. You win, but did you have something in mind?"

"Well, there are two names I keep coming back to. I didn't really want to say anything until they were born, but they've stuck with me." He shrugged like it wasn't a big deal. But it was! I didn't have any boys' names in mind; I even struggled with girls' names. I wasn't like the women who grew up and just knew that I wanted my daughter to be named.

"It might be nice to have a name for at least one of our kids before they get here." I tried to say encouragingly.

"Okay, don't judge me." He paused, meeting my eyes, almost like he was trying to make sure that I wasn't going to say or do something. I nodded my head, so he'd continue. "Liam. I really like the name Liam."

I rolled it around my tongue, saying it over and over. Liam Paora Cullen. Liam Paora Cullen. Liam Paora Cullen.

Yeah, I liked that.

"Our son, Liam Paora." I smiled, rubbing the smaller baby that was positioned across the front my of my abdomen. "Sounds perfect."

"Really?" I nodded, leaning forward and kissing his chest, before leaning my forehead against him. Edward wrapped his arms around me and gave me a solid squeeze.

"Tea's ready guys, come on." Emmett said from where the family sat around my dining table. I didn't know how long we'd been in our little bubble, but it appeared as though it was long enough for our food to get here, and everyone to be seated around the table ready to eat.

I smiled shyly as we joined our family around the table. They'd ordered UberEATS, and had remembered to order thai green curry for me. I don't know if it was a craving or what, but I couldn't get enough of it.

Everyone must have been starving as they all dished out plates in relative silence. Mostly just talking when they were passing the food around. That's when it struck me; this was the moment that we needed to share with our family our babies' sexes. It was going to be early as hell to call, Charlie, but I doubted he'd mind too much when he got the news.

I quickly grabbed my phone out of my pocket and showed Edward who I was calling. He looked confused for a few seconds, but quickly realized what I was doing, as he looked at me with raised eyebrows.

It didn't ring half as long as I thought it would before Charlie answered. "Hey Dad, I hope I didn't wake you." I greeted, the table quieting as soon as they realized I was on the phone.

" _Nope, didn't wake me. I've been up for a couple of hours; I've been on the early shift for a few weeks. How're you doing, Bells?"_

"Good, Dad—great actually. We had our baby shower today, I'll be sure to get some photos together to send to Sue and you. There were so many people—but anyway, I wanted to talk to you and the rest of the family, are you able to talk right now?"

I heard some shuffling behind the line as I assumed Charlie had shut his office door. _"I'm all ears, Baby."_

I grabbed Edward's hand and gave it a squeeze before putting the phone on speaker. "Say 'Hi', Dad, you're on speaker."

Everyone quickly greeted Charlie before all eyes on the table looked at me expectantly. I decided that news like this is best delivered standing, so I pushed back away from the table, and wasn't surprised to find Edward do the same.

"I know we said that we wouldn't share the sexes with you until the babies were born, but we've changed our mind." I caught Edward's eye, as he touched Unc—his taonga. I heard someone gasp, but I didn't see who.

" _Don't leave me hanging, Bells. I've got some shopping to do."_ I don't think Charlie understood the mission he would have to ever see my babies in Mariners anything. He'd be lucky if they ever wore caps. They may have been half mine, but they were being born into an All Blacks family.

I'd leave him and Emmett to have that argument. I had a feeling it would be entertaining to watch.

I grabbed Edward's hand and squeezed. "We're having a boy." I paused, meeting the eyes around the room. Alice looked like she wanted to jump the table and rip the answer from me. "and a girl."

There were gasps, clapping and sobbing that could be heard. Even Charlie sounded a bit rough over the line. The new Grand dad was really struggling with the news, more so maybe than even Esme, whose eyes were shinning with tears.

"Hold the fuck up." Emmett said, shocking everyone at the table. "You're telling me your daughter gets born with instant protection, and I've got to worry about my daughter dating in thirty years—how is that fair?"

No one really knew how to respond to Emmett's outburst. I just assumed that the advice he had gotten from Carlisle and Charlie had settled him down and helped him get over his freak-out about Toni dating.

" _Dammit, Emmett—this isn't about you!"_ Charlie shouted down the phone, his voice a bit rough.

I won't lie, even if I wanted to, there was no way I was going to not laugh at him. He really needed to get over that. But also, I had a feeling my little girl was most likely going to be her brother's protector, at least until he finally outgrew her.

"Dumbass." Jasper threw at Emmett, while the rest of us just smiled.

"Anyway, Dad, that was all I called to tell you." I told Charlie after he'd had a go at Emmett.

Charlie exchanged a few more pleasantries with everyone before we ended the call and faced the family. They all had some pretty expectant looks on their faces. I quickly looked to Edward, who looked about as confused as I felt.

"Just so you know, Rosalie is a _great_ name for a baby girl." I shook my head. There's no denying that Rosalie really is a beautiful name for a little girl, but that didn't mean I was going to name her that.

We still had no clue what to name our daughter, but at least our son had a name.

Liam Paora Cullen. Our son.

 **Well, there you go. They have a name for their son, one more name for them to** **figure out.**

 **I also realise there was a lot of stuff in this chapter so you'll find some translations/definitions/explanations below:**

 _Taonga: Typically refers to a precious item or treasure. In this case they were handed the last carving Uncle Paora carved. These are especially significant to Maori, and just kiwis as a whole. They're often gifted in celebration, like their baby shower, 21st birthday, I received one when I graduated University. They're often blessed by kaumatua (elders), we believe if it is meant to yours, you'll never lose it. It'll always come back to you. My dad wore a bone one for years, and he took it off to play rugby and my sister put it on. He never realised he hadn't gotten back off her until a few months later. She gave it back to him, and it feel off the same day and did so for a week before he gave it back to my sister. They're significant and are often seen as vessels sometimes, that's probably why we accept so easily that they're quick to chose their owners. The one I received for graduation clearly wasn't mine, because it fell off the first day I wore it. Never came back to me._

 _Pounamu (Poe-nah-moo): It's also known in NZ as greenstone, though its actually jade, nephrite jade to be more specific. It comes in lots of different shades, and is naturally found in lots of places in NZ, like rivers and caves etc._

 _Kite (Kee-teh): Small, woven pouches. A lot of them have handles like tote bags that's normally braided. They're made from harakeke (Huh-rah-keh-keh) or flax. It's dried out and then woven. Try google image searching to see what can be woven from flax. We also make flowers and mats etc._

 **There's a high chance I didn't get everything that may need explanation, so if you'd like to more, let me know.**

 **As always, I love to read your thoughts!**

 **NicNyx.**


	11. Epilogue

**Its so hard to say goodbye to a fic I spent years writing and even longer to publish for everyone. Thank you to the readers who've followed me religiously on this journey and shared your kind words.**

 **The biggest thanks go out to my Beta EdwardsFirstKiss, she has a magical red pen that helped make sure my sentences made sense, and the kiwisms that popped up did too! More importantly though, thank you for making genuinely enjoy the beta experience! You helped make this fic. I don't know where she found the time in her crazy schedule to help me, but she did and for that, I'm so grateful!**

 **Fran, thank you for finding this fic and pimping it out on your Facebook page.**

 **Okay, you all can read along now.**

* * *

As soon as my feet touched down on New Zealand soil, I knew I'd never regret my decision to move here. Really, it was probably the most risky, yet undeniably, the easiest decision I had ever made. Well, second only to loving Edward. I would never regret my decision to come here; especially now.

So the pains I'd been experiencing at the baby shower... that was back labor. I don't know why I didn't realize it; I'd given Rose a hard time, and had somehow wound up in the same predicament.

My water breaking is what made me realize what was happening. It really is a good thing I'm married to an Obstetrician.

A small little whimper coming from one of the tightly swaddled bundles lying in the clear, hospital crib drew my attention. Shuffling, with slightly less discomfort than I'd expected, I reached over the edge to see who was fussing.

Liam. He was still smaller than his sister, but not nearly as small as my mind had conjured. He even looked like a baby, with his cheeks full of fat and his lips pouty giving them a bee stung appearance. I'd mentally prepared myself for the reality of newborn babies. I'd googled them. Unlike Toni and the babies born on TV, newborns seldom ever are born looking like real babies. They're normally an odd color, have odd shaped heads and sometimes they look scarily thin.

My babies didn't. They were both stunning, and I'd prayed they'd both take after their daddy with his crazy green eyes. The chances were high that they'd get his eyes, if the pale gray of their eyes was anything to go by; maybe my prayers had paid off.

"Hey Son-son, what're you grizzling about?" I cooed, reaching over, I pulled his tiny, swaddled body into my arms. His eyes met mine, and I was adamant that he knew exactly who I was. Even though according to my reading, it took a while for them to make out people and recognize them.

I snuggled him to my breast, surprised to find his eyes drifting shut as he rooted around and seemed to drift back off to sleep. He just wanted to be held.

The sound of the door to my room opening had me looking up. Edward was back, dressed in fresh scrubs and holding a plastic bag full of food. I'd been sitting in the subdued lighting for so long, when I saw him reaching for the light switch I asked him not to.

The dim lighting was peaceful, and I didn't know if the lights would wake the twins. Edward crossed the room quickly, but with far more grace and quietness than I would have managed. It took hours for sensation to return to me, and I needed a lot of support when I was allowed to shower. I felt like a newly whelped giraffe.

I watched as Edward was lowering himself into the chair pushed up next to my bed. That just wouldn't do. I wanted him on the bed with me, and I wanted him to grab our daughter. This was a family moment.

"Come on Daddy, there's room for you and Ana." He didn't hesitate as he pulled Ana's tiny little body into his arms, cradling her like she was the most precious thing in the world. I shuffled over, making enough room for the both of us on the small bed. It was smaller than a twin, much smaller, but it would do.

I sat up so there was enough room for Edward to get comfortable before I settled in against him. His free arm wrapped around me, as he held me to his side, his arms resting against our swaddled son. All we needed was Topaz for our family picture to be perfect.

I could feel Edward's breath against my hair, as he rested his chin on me. "I feel like I'm dreaming."

I pulled back a little so I could look at him. There was so much joy and happiness radiating from him; I could see why it would feel like a dream.

Needing to make this as tangible as possible for Edward, I shuffled a little, feeling a slight twinge of pain but ignoring it as I pulled away from Edward's extended arm, and in my place, I gave him Liam. He didn't hesitate to pull him tightly to his chest, taking a moment to breathe them both in.

I snuggled close to his side once he situated the twins. "You're not dreaming. This is real. They're real."

We fell into a comfortable silence, so comfortable I started drifting off until I heard sniffles. The twins were too young to sniffle; at least I thought they were, so that left one person. I looked up at Edward's face shocked to see tears practically streaming down his cheeks.

It was easy to forget how sensitive ne could be.

I sat up a bit, so Edward and I were eye to eye. When he realized I hadn't drifted off to sleep he tried to hide his tears, but with a baby in each arm he couldn't really wipe them away.

"Hey, talk to me. Aren't I supposed to be the emotionally unstable one right now?" I got a small chuckle from him.

"Mama B, It's only a matter of time before you lose it, I promise." Edward slid Liam back into my arms, and used his now free hand to brush away his tears. "They're real, and they're here, you all are—I guess I'm just trying to process everything."

By this point Edward and I were both sitting up, he was stretched out. His legs extended down the bed while he sat up, whereas I was sitting almost Indian style, facing him as I sat on his right side. "Are you not happy?"

I don't know why that was the first thing to come out of my mouth. The thought was there, fleetingly, but for whatever reason the words were out of my mouth and I couldn't stop them. A surge of panic rose within me. What if he was unhappy? I couldn't do this without him. I couldn't. I needed him.

His words.

His comfort.

His smile.

His love.

Just him.

"Hey, hey. Calm down— look at me love. You're okay. I'm okay. We're right here." Edward shushed quickly, slipping Liam from my arms as he gently rested him on his lap. He tucked me into his side, swaying slightly— trying to soothe me. "Come on baby, breathe with me. I'm here. I'll always be here."

Breathe with him? Had I stopped breathing?

I looked at Edward, a clear panic in his face that he tried to hide with a smile. But his smile wasn't right. It didn't reach his eyes.

It felt like a lifetime passed before I could breathe normally again. It may only have been a couple of minutes, but they were the longest minutes of my life.

"You back with me, B?" Edward asked unmistakable relief in his tone.

I nodded my head slowly, not really sure what that was.

"I think you were dealing with a little anxiety, how're you feeling now?" How was I feeling? My body ached, my heart hurt and my head throbbed. I felt fine overall though.

"Come here." Edward shuffled down so his head was on the pillow, both twins shifted so that they were on his chest, still tightly swaddled and fast asleep. I shuffled down, so I was lying next to him on my side, my arms reached across him resting gently underneath the babies.

Ana's little pink swaddle came loose, so I quickly tucked it in again to make sure it stayed nice and tight. We hadn't decided on her name until she was born, so we'd decided not to share Liam's with the family until she had her name too.

That didn't stop Alice from procuring two beautiful swaddles for the twins. Liam's in a soft brown, lined with a stunning teal blue with 'Cullen' embroidered tidily in one corner in the same color. It sounded so mature when she was telling me about it, but not that he was wrapped in it, it looked perfect.

Ana's Swaddle was more of a silver, grey-blue color, very soft though, and around the outside it'd been lined in a mint green. On her blanket, 'Cullen' was more feminine with a couple of butterflies tidily tucked into the name.

I wasn't sure if we'd get their names stitched into them too, we hadn't decided. I wasn't sure if it was necessary.

"Can you believe that they're finally here?" I found myself asking.

"No, I really can't. I'm mostly just happy Ana was born with a name. I didn't like calling her 'Baby Girl', that's your name." Our voices were soft, so as not to wake or startle the twins.

"Anahera Rose Cullen, our feisty little first born and Liam Paora Cullen, hopefully he'll be the calm one of the two."

Edward agreed, quickly before he started humming something lowly under his breath. I didn't recognize the tune, but I found it very soothing. Without really wanting to, I found myself drifting off.

Slowly, awareness returned to me as whispered voices filtered in.

 _"They look so peaceful."_ A voice I vaguely recognized mused.

 _"I don't think I've ever seen Doctor Cullen so happy before. They're such a beautiful family."_ This voice was new. I couldn't place it.

 _"I'm so glad he found her, he's been so much happier since they've been together. Like he was before that she-bitch."_ I was still struggling to place her voice. Was she a nurse?

 _"I never met her, but I heard stories about what she did to him."_ I had too, from his family and from him. That bitch deserved to rot in hell.

With a sigh, I opened my eyes. I was relieved that it was still quite dim in the room, although light was filtering in through closed blinds.

I shuffled gently up, so I was sitting up a little. I waved at the nurses I could see. Carmen, the nurse I remembered meeting when Rose came in was standing with another nurse, although this one I hadn't met. She was probably the same age as Esme, just a bit heavier set. Her hair was long and braided down her back, the color still more pepper than salt.

"We're sorry if we woke you. We heard Doctor Cullen's twins were finally born, and we wanted to sneak a peek. We went to the nursery first; I guess they didn't stay there long." I smiled at Carmen, and gestured for both nurses to come in.

They were harmless, and the interactions I'd had with Carmen, though few, were always pleasant. Edward only had good things to say about her too.

"Come in, it's okay. Edward's probably going to wake up soon, anyway. He's a light sleeper." I cast my gaze over the twins who still seemed quite content snuggled into their father's chest.

I'm pretty sure it went completely against hospital protocol for the twins to be co-bedding with each other, let alone with their parents in a cramped single hospital bed. Oh well.

When Ana started rooting around her daddy's chest, her face screwing up as when she found nothing, Edward started to stir. Worried I was going to have to deal with two hungry babies; I quickly slipped my top down my shoulder and released my boob. I'd never been particularly comfortable with boob nudity, but I no longer cared if the Pope himself got an eyeful of nipple. My baby was hungry, and she was going to eat.

Ana had no trouble latching on when we'd met with the lactation specialist. Liam wasn't as quick as his sister, but once he figured it out, he drank with an almost painful gusto. As soon as I lifted Ana from Edward's chest, his left hand held Liam a little tighter as his eyes sprung open. "Baby!"

My heart broke a little for his panic. I quickly reached over, scratching my fingers against his scalp to let him know that he was okay. "I've got her."

Cradling Liam, he sat up, noticing for the first time that we had visitors. "Carmen. Lina." He said as he sleepily rubbed at his eyes. "Don't just stand there, come on. I know you've all been fighting to see who'd be on shift and assigned to our care. Meet _my_ kids _."_

It was hard to miss the way he emphasized the word 'my', then again, he'd often been the proud doctor helping bring other women's babies into the world. This was the first time he'd ever been able to introduce his own children.

As proud as I was of our little doves, I'd let him have his proud papa moment. He'd probably spent his whole career waiting for the chance to puff out his chest, and strut like a proud papa.

Carmen and Lina, as I'd just learned, crossed the room quickly and were at our bedside. I probably should have felt somewhat uncomfortable with my whole right boob exposed, but they were professionals. I'd also lost every modicum of modesty when I was in stirrups not fourteen hours ago. So long as they didn't try to stroke Ana's face and inadvertently cop a feel, we'd be fine.

I couldn't help but smile as I watched Edward, show off his son to his coworkers. The women cooed and fawned, getting even more excited as he slowly opened his eyes. I'd seen baby photos of Edward, and I was adamant that he looked just like him. I'd need Esme and Carlisle to confirm things for me, but I knew I was going to have trouble on my hands when he grew up—especially if he had his daddy's charm too.

"He's going to have your eyes, Edward." I whole heartedly agreed with Carmen's statement.

Ana started to ease up and as I looked down I could see she was starting to drift off again. When she'd stopped drinking all together, I took the time to burp her. I was still scared that I was using too much pressure, but she didn't' seem to mind. Besides, I was sure that Edward would let me know if I did something wrong.

"Just look at her." Lina said her eyes wide as she stared at Ana. Her eyes were open, appearing as though she was staring at Edward.

Unlike her brother's white blonde hair, Ana's hair was more of a dirty blonde. Her eyes appeared lighter than her brother's and I hoped that meant they'd turn blue like Carlisle's or Renee's. It already looked like she was going to take after her grandfather's coloring.

A part of me was still struggling to come with terms to the fact that these gorgeous, cherubic beings came from me. They were newborns that looked like babies! Their cheeks were full; Ana's a little more than Liam's. They both had pouty mouths, full lips too; at least I hoped they would.

Edward and I quickly exchanged babies so I could feed Liam. I had to adjust a little so he could drink from my other breast. The pressure I felt when my breasts were too full was an odd sensation, one I didn't really like.

I looked down at my son, gently running the backs of my fingers along his cheek. He seemed to barely notice as his eyes stayed closed while he suckled.

The women stuck around for a few more minutes. Indulging a little more than they'd originally planned. They hadn't expected the babies to be awake, so they were taking advantage of the situation.

They left soon after the twins were changed, re-swaddled and settled back into the hospital crib.

Edward and I decided to take a nap while we could. We'd been woken much earlier than either of us had intended, and needed as much sleep as we could get for when the family arrived.

They'd been here as long as they could when I was delivering the babies and even managed to get a peek of the twins; but they hadn't had their cuddles or taken pictures yet.

I snuggled back into Edward's arms as he rolled onto his side and held them open for me. He wrapped his arms around me, and much quicker than I thought was possible I drifted back to sleep.

To my relief, there were no complications from my delivery and the twins had good weights and were perfectly normal, so after an extra day in the hospital, we were being discharged.

I was relieved that the twins as well as myself were fine, though my relief was mostly for them; especially Liam. I wondered how long it would take for him to catch up to his sister's weight.

Emmett and Rosalie were triple checking the installation of the car seat bases while Carlisle oversaw them. I know Edward wanted to do it, he actually had—twice. But, he wanted expert help from his brother and sister-in-law. I didn't blame him.

Ana making a little huffing noise drew my attention. Her hands flailed around, and I quickly caught her right one and thread it through the outfit Charlie and Sue had sent for her.

I wasn't surprised to receive a package in the mail from them. However, the sheer size of the parcel shocked me though. They'd sent a packing box full of gifts, new and old. More special than all of that though, tucked inside an envelope was a flash drive that Seth had filled with photos of me growing up.

I couldn't wait until the twins were old enough to appreciate them.

Inside the box there were lots of onesies and other outfits. This included Mariners and Seahawks jackets that they probably wouldn't be wearing until they started preschool. Yet it was the matching onesies that I fell in love with.

Charlie must have had them made. They were dark blue, fashioned after the Forks Police uniform. Embroidered on the right breast was the Forks Police badge. We hadn't shared the twins' names with anyone prior to their births, so instead of their names underneath the badge, they both said _'Jnr. Deputy Cullen'._

Edward was probably more touched by the gesture than even I was. We hadn't told Charlie that we'd already gotten married. I think it was another sign for Edward that Charlie whole heartedly accepted him.

"Come on, Angel; let's get your other arm in the sleeve." I was slowly getting better at dressing the twins. Very slowly.

I was too gentle initially; scared they'd get hurt so if their arms didn't move themselves comfortably into their sleeves, I pretty much gave up. It took some coaxing from Edward, and fortunately patience by the twins that I became a little more comfortable. It would probably get easier the more I did it. At this stage, I'd only really attempted to dress them in tiny singlet tops.

I could feel Edward standing behind me, Liam ready and waiting as I could hear his grizzling. The sound had my breast milk letting down which made me groan.

"Here, I'll finish dressing her." I sorted out my clothing and adjusting my maternity bra. Once I was ready, Edward handed Liam to me.

Liam's latch was getting better, and without too much fanfare he started suckling. I sat in the chair and watched as Edward bonded with his daughter.

I couldn't hear what he was saying to her, but she just stared at him, absolutely enraptured. She was such a daddy's girl.

I always knew I loved seeing Edward with babies, but it did something to me to see him with our children.

It took almost thirty minutes before he seemed satisfied, so I quickly burped him. That was enough time however for Edward to hop up on the bed with Ana and nod off.

He stayed with me—completely against hospital policy—and was up at every cry, grizzle and sound they'd made. They were up almost every hour too, and Edward tended to stay awake longer than me once they were settled.

I rested Liam against my shoulder and quickly tried to wake Edward. Just as I reached out to stroke my fingers through his hair, I knew I needed to take a picture of Edward and Ana first.

He was semi reclined on the bed, his feet dangling off the side as though he never intended on drifting off to sleep. One of his hands was under her bottom while the other was on her shoulders. Her little head was turned to the right as she slept soundly on his chest. She really was the prettiest baby I had ever seen.

I quickly shuffled through my bag, annoyed by the amount of junk I needed to clear out of it, and found my phone. In ta few seconds it was unlocked, and I started snapping. I ended up with close to thirty photos.

The click of the shutter eventually roused Edward as he blearily held Ana to his chest. "Sorry."

I smiled at his sheepish reply and shook my head. He deserved a power nap. I quickly pecked him on the lips before pressing a soft kiss on the crown of Ana's head. Our little Angel.

"Don't worry, you deserved a cat nap. Besides, our little man kept me entertained."

It couldn't have been timed better as he let out a little yawn, his eyes fluttering closed. I watched as Edward looked down at his watch and seemed to startle at the time. "Where is everyone?"

"Oh shit, you're right!" I forgot all about the family. The last I heard Rose and Em were double checking the installation of the bases for the twins baby seats. "Where the hell are they?"

We quickly double checked on the twins, made sure they were okay and settled them into their new car seats. Edward helped me with the straps, showing me how to tighten things and make sure they were secure.

"Come, on. Let's find the rest of the family."

We found the family chatting at the nurse station as they ate their way through a small bakery that had taken up shop. Even the charge nurse was indulging, clearly catching up with Carlisle and Esme for the first time in what looked like years.

I couldn't help but smile as I watched my new family. It still overwhelmed me to think that if it hadn't been for one pretty brazen decision, I wouldn't be here. I wouldn't have what I have today. The thought made tears well up in my eyes. I couldn't imagine my life without the Cullens.

"Hey," Edward gently placed the twins down in the car seats before pulling me into his arms. "What're you crying for?"

My tears only became worse as Edward noticed them. "I'm just so happy to have all of you. I—If it hadn't been for Jacob being a dick, and your brother going for a joy ride, I wouldn't be here."

"Naw, baby." Edward soothed, as he rocked our bodies, his lips practically buried in my hair. It felt like he was breathing me in. "I don't like thinking about the 'what ifs', because they all revolve around you not being in my life."

"That's what I'm saying." I lifted my head; well it took a couple of tries before Edward realized what I was trying to say. He looked at me with so much love and sincerity in his gaze, the blue-green practically hypnotizing me. "I love you _so_ much E, but not just you—your whole family. I hate the circumstances that brought me here, but I will never regret my decision. You guys, all of you, I—you make my life actually mean something."

I could see that Edward wanted to say something, and it's not that I didn't want to hear it; it's just that I needed to kiss him. Quickly reaching up on my toes, I crushed my lips to his, hoping I could convey how much I loved him in that too brief kiss.

The slightly glazed over dazed look on his face, suggested that, yes, he got my point. "I love you, Mrs. Cullen."

"I love you too, Doctor Cullen."

Our bubble was burst by a wolf whistle.

Choosing to ignore Emmett, I tried to pick up Liam's car seat, but Edward batted my hands away. "Don't be greedy, B. You got to carry these guys for eight months, give me a go."

"You make it sound like I had a choice." If he wasn't carrying the most precious cargo in the world, I would have shoved him into a wall.

I may have carried them, but nothing made them more active than their father's touch, or voice. The past three months of my pregnancy had been spent trying to fall asleep to a rugby match in my stomach. At least Edward's soft singing was a great balm to their nearly constant movement at bedtime.

"What took you guys so long?" Em asked obnoxiously, his eyes anxiously watching the baby seats as Edward lifted them up onto the counter. The family had all met and had their cuddles with the twins though I could see Emmett was just waiting for another hold.

"Damn it, they're sleeping Emmett." Edward growled, as he'd barely had a chance to set them safely down before his brother way trying to reach for them.

"Like that's ever stopped you from grabbing Toni." Emmett did have a point. Though, I had no intention of acknowledging it out loud.

Edward absolutely loved holding his niece even if it meant rousing her from her slumber. I'd lost count the number of times I'd caught Edward sneaking into Toni's room when she was sleeping, only to return with a baby in his arms.

I don't know who I'd kill first—Emmett or Edward—if the same thing happened with the twins.

"Emmett Dale, if you wake those babies I will hurt you." Esme threatened, making my eyes widen. I expected Rose to say something before, Esme. I guess super Grandma was not impressed with her eldest son.

"But Edward—,"

"Get over it." Rosalie said quickly, glaring at her husband as she gently rolled Toni's stroller back and forth. She was probably trying to lull her back to sleep. We really were here much longer than we'd intended.

"Hey, how about we head back to the Lodge? It'll be nice to try to settle these two in and I miss my shower." Everyone agreed, but we were stopped by Carmen and what looked like most of the nursing staff from the ward.

"Doctor Cullen!" It wasn't the volume that caught our attention, so much as the hurried tone of Carmen's voice. "A minute, please?"

If it would have been any other nurse, Edward probably would have kept walking, but Carmen was one probably his favorite nurses to work with. The way he talked about her, it was obvious that he respected her.

"Carmen?" The question in his voice was unmistakable. He was probably torn between wanting to help her with whatever she needed and our family.

"We all pitched in and got you something." She rushed out, practically running toward us. A legion of nurses, all dressed in scrubs following behind her.

If all the maternity nursing staff were here, who was looking after the moms?

"You guys really didn't have to." I watched as Carmen pulled out two decent sized gift bags from behind her back and held them out for Edward and me. Offering a quick thanks, I pulled one of the bags to me and peeked inside.

It was overflowing with everything a new parent would need. Diapers, pacifiers—not that I'd really wanted to use them—bibs, bottles, breast pads, onesies. That was just what I could see.

Judging by how choked up Edward was, I assumed that whatever was in his bag was probably a bit more meaningful. When I saw him holding, not a card, but an A1 piece of cardboard, I could only imagine what may have been on it.

He lifted his arm, and I slid under it, hugging his side as I got a good look of what he'd been given.

The hospital staff had clearly realized that an A3 card just wasn't going to cut it, so instead they'd just bought a piece of card instead. There were so many names, pictures and messages scrawled across the card in handwriting both neat and messy.

I'd never read more beautiful messages. The one that really stood out though, was the one in the very center, written beautifully in gold calligraphy.

" _A Dad is not simply the man who fathers a child. He's much more than that._

 _He's the man who cries first when they enter this world, and cries last when he holds them. He's the man who watches whether they're awake or sleeping and soothes aches when they feel them. He's the man who chose to put them first, and who'll do it, because it's his reason."_

 _Edward,_

 _I've never known a man more perfect for fatherhood than you. After years of working with you and watching you stare wistfully at every happy couple when you brought their children into this world, I cannot be happier for you._

 _Thank you, for being such an amazing friend and colleague. Bella and you are going to have the most beautiful babies ever with the best parents._

 _Lots of love, see you at the end of your EXTENDED (you best be taking off at least two months) paternity leave._

 _Carmen_

I could see Edward was starting to lose his shit, and he didn't seem to care. His eyes jumped from one passage to another, sometimes he'd chuckle as he read them and other times he'd simply shake his head with a cheeky smile. These people, they're his work family. Even when he probably felt the most alone after Tanya, these people had looked out for him.

There was always this knowing look in Carmen's eyes whenever I saw her. Maybe she knew all about Tanya. Edward sometimes talked in his sleep when he was really tired, and he'd fall asleep anywhere.

One day, I'd need to get the scoop from Carmen. She was probably Edward's closest work friend, and I don't even think he realized that.

"You guys really didn't need to do this." Edward said once he'd finished reading the card, he was still sniffing as he rolled it into a cylinder and slid it pack into the gift bag.

"Of course we did!" Lina said enthusiastically. "For starters, it is so rare that we ever get the chance to gift new parents, because there are so many of them. But you're probably our favourite doctor to work with, and we are so happy for you guys."

After Lina's announcement, an endless parade of hugs and kisses began. It was like the baby shower all over again, except instead of overbearing aunties and cousins who thought themselves supermoms, it was healthcare professionals reminding me how gorgeous my kids were.

It was probably another thirty minutes before we were finally able to leave. The whole family was waiting patiently, except for Alice and Jasper. They couldn't' take the time off work, though they really wanted to be here.

It was probably for the best. What should have been an easy discharge was anything but.

Arriving back at The Point, it hit me all at once. Motherhood.

Edward and I were now responsible for two human beings. It would be up to us to ensure that they turned out well behaved and polite.

What if we fucked up? I knew everything not to do, sure. Renee made sure I knew all the things to avoid being a bad parent. But what about being a good parent? Charlie, regrettably wasn't in my life as much as I had wanted growing up, he didn't get the chance to show me what it meant to be a good parent.

A large, warm hand reaching over the center console and wrapping around mine caught my attention.

"You're freaking out, aren't you?" Though it sounded like a question, he was simply making a statement.

Yes. Yes I am _definitely_ freaking out.

I couldn't say the words, so instead all that came out was a choked sigh-moan that almost sounded inhuman. Tears started trickling down my face like a broken faucet.

Edward quickly looked into the backseat at the twins, before practically reaching over, and unbuckling my seat belt before pulling me into his lap. I sat sideways, my feet dangling over the center console.

He wrapped his arms around me tightly and just held me to his chest.

I was so torn. I wanted to ask Esme to stay with us. I wanted to ask Charlie and Sue to fly down and be with us.

I wanted someone to tell me that I could do this. Because I wasn't sure I had it in me.

I didn't know how to be a mother.

"Hey, hey, shhh. Calm down, Baby B." At least he didn't tell me everything was going to be okay.

I tucked myself into his chest as tightly as I could. I felt so small in his arms, but so secure. He made me feel safe.

He started humming lowly under his breath, a song I didn't really recognize. But it was sweet and soothing all the same.

"What song is that?" I asked quietly, my head against his chest. I could hear his heartbeat.

Instead of telling me, he grabbed his phone from the cup holder. When a sweet lullaby started piping through, I closed my eyes and listened.

 _From the time your hand didn't fit 'round my finger_

 _The first time that I saw you smile_

 _I realized why I'm alive_

 _And that time we_

 _First hear you say the word, daddy_

 _And when your front teeth disappeared_

 _It'd still be clear, why I'm here_

 _When life throws you arrows, and makes you feel small_

 _My love for you, child will conquer it all_

 _No you don't have to worry_

 _I won't let the big bad world get you_

 _No you don't have to worry_

 _Won't let the big bad world get you, no way_

The song was cut off as a phone call cut through the car. But it didn't matter. It was one of the sweetest songs I'd ever heard. Emmett's name flashed across the display. I reached around Edward to press the answer button on the steering wheel.

"Hello?" I could feel the vibration in his chest as he spoke.

" _Did you guys get lost?"_ Instead of his jovial self, there was genuine concern in his voice.

"No, sorry—ah, we were just…" Edward looked at my pleadingly.

"The twins were sleeping so soundly, I guess we didn't want to move them. We'll be in shortly." Finally looking into the backseat, I could see my world sleeping soundly.

I'd almost forgotten that they were there.

I quickly tried to get off Edward's lap, but he held me tighter. "I love you, Bella. So much. Your body is going through so many hormonal changes right now; you're going to freak out sometimes okay? Just know that no matter what you, and our children are my _life_."

Reaching up, I held Edward's face. He spoke with such earnest, his eyes practically glowing with their sincerity.

"Thank you." It was all I could muster. I pulled his face down to mine, kissing him soundly on the lips.

He didn't say anything as his pressed his lips back on mine. The kiss didn't deepen at all, it stayed sweet. It was perfect. It was just what we both needed.

"Come on, B. Let's get our kids inside."

We both slid out of driver's side of the car. Edward went around to the passenger side so that he could get Ana while I got Liam.

When Edward joined me, he had my duffle bag slung over his shoulder as he held Ana's carrier. Treating it like it was the most precious thing in the world. Because that's exactly what she was, one of three things that were most precious to Edward.

I didn't mind sharing a place of Edward's heart with her.

When Edward and I finally made it up the stairs, I was exhausted. I knew that I would time to recover after giving birth, but this was ridiculous.

Edward noticed, and as soon as we made it inside he took Liam from my arms. Before I could take a load off, I was being pulled into familiar embrace. Pine and woodsmoke filled my lungs as I settled into his arms.

Dad.

I didn't care what it took for him to get here. He was here. That's what mattered. He would have had to have been on a plane as soon as he'd found out that I'd gone into labor, and here he is.

"I'm so proud of you, Baby Girl." He whispered in my ear as he held me, rocking us from side to side.

I was so overwhelmed that he came all the way from the States to see me. "I love you Daddy."

"Love you too, Bella. Now, where are those grand babies of mine?"

Charlie and I must have been in our own little world, because by the time I turned around to get the babies, Esme and Carlisle were each holding a little bundle. They had so much joy on their faces.

It was probably the same kind of look that Charlie was going to have when he held his first born grandchildren.

"Oh Charlie, come look at them." Esme beckoned, once she'd noticed that Charlie and I were no longer in our daddy daughter bubble.

Edward quickly grabbed Charlie, giving him a massive hug. They shared a few words before Edward introduced him to the twins. I felt tenderness in my breasts which had me thinking if the twins weren't awake yet, it was only a matter of time.

For the first time in my life, I watched my father cry. He held the twins, one in each arm, and just stared at them in absolute awe. "You two are the prettiest babies I've ever seen." He cooed quietly.

I wondered briefly if Char—Dad, was the type of man to admit when he thought a baby was ugly. He was a straight shooter, but also a man for the people. He'd probably never admit to it.

A thought struck me as I watched my dad fussing over his little deputies. His tears fell harder when he noticed the way they were dressed.

They were both awake now, doing their very best to look at their grandfather. I didn't know what he wanted to be called. Grandpa? Pop? Granddad?

"Hey Dad, what do you want them to call you?" If I'd had grandparents, it may have been easier for me to know what he wanted to be called. But I didn't.

"Well, so long as they don't call me Charlie, I'm good." I felt a little guilty for that. Had I hurt him every time I had called him by his given name? Probably, though I doubted he'd ever tell me.

"I think Papa Charlie, has a good ring to it, don't you Chief?" Emmett chimed in. Not that he really had a say in the matter.

But he did have a point. Papa Charlie really did have a good ring to it.

"Papa Charlie and Nana Sue, sounds good to me." I hugged my dad around his waist. I gently ran the pads of my fingers against the twins' cheeks. They tried to turn their heads closer to their granddad's chest. They were definitely getting hungry.

"Yeah," Charlie puffed up his chest a little, "Papa Charlie, I like that."

I didn't know what to expect for Edward and me on our first night with just us and the twins. Sure, we hadn't been in the hospital long, but I felt safe in there. I didn't have to worry if I did something wrong because the nurses were always there. So were the doctors, not just my husband.

When do moms learn their babies' cues? I'd read blogs and seen on TV how moms just knew their baby's hungry cry, from their wet cry or the 'I want to be held' cry. I didn't even know how they did that.

Did my ears not hear the frequency or something? At this stage, all of their cries sounded the same. They sounded like newborn baby cries.

It made me uncomfortable not knowing what they wanted or needed. Even now, as Liam screwed his face up, his tiny hands free from their swaddle grasping at the air.

I fed him half an hour ago, he'd been changed too. Didn't babies only need a few things when they're this young?

I watched over him as I sat on the side of the bed. He and Ana had their own bassinets. We didn't know how much longer we'd be here before we finally found a house, but we didn't think it made sense to build them full-sized cribs. We didn't have the space for them either.

"What do you want Son-son, Mommy doesn't know?" I tried soothe, rocking his bassinet. It didn't help.

"Pick him up, Love." Edward sounded groggy, as he wrapped his arm around my shoulder. I was holding him when he started fussing to begin with.

His arm stayed where it was as I reached in and picked up Liam. I kissed his forehead as I pulled him into my chest, tucking his arm back into his swaddle. Edward reached over, helping me reposition him over my shoulder. Edward loved holding Toni like this, and she seemed to enjoy it too.

Slowly, he soothed, his little head burrowing into my shoulder nook. He was so light; I felt like I could hold him like this forever and never get tired. I took a moment to just breathe him in as I settled into Edward.

"He just wanted his Mum, Love. He always wants you, haven't you noticed?" I shook my head. He'd been calm for the most part as he was passed from person to person. When he'd landed in Emmett's arms, all calmness left him and there was nothing Emmett could do to console him. Edward was busy, so Em handed Liam to me. "He was upset because he wanted you."

"How do you know that?" I looked up at him, and his eyes were practically glowing as he looked down at me. Before the twins I'd never thought I'd love someone as much as I loved Edward, now that I had them here, the three of them had me overflowing with my love for them.

Edward cupped my face, his eyes saying so much and nothing at all at the same time.

"He's always trying to be in your arms, B. Always, even when I hold him. It's only been a few days, and I'm sure when he's able to recognise you even more, he'll probably go to no one except you." I must have screwed my face up at that because Edward was smoothing out the wrinkles between my brows. "That's how I know, Bella. Because you were born to be a _Mom._ It's not going to be easy, I think we both know that, but these kids are the best of you and me, and they'll love us unconditionally. We're going to screw up, but it doesn't matter, because we'll just keep trying until we get it right."

"You're so sure of yourself, of us, of _me._ " He looked confused by my statement.

He closed the distance between us, resting his forehead against mine. "I've always been sure of _you,_ being sure of me was harder, but trusting in _us_ came as easy as breathing. You're allowed to make mistakes, Baby. Parenting is hard, but we'll figure it out."

I kissed his lips, savoring the strength that was my husband. He had so much faith in me, in my ability to be a parent— a mother.

Did he know that I was terrified? There were only a few kilos between them, but those cherubic little faces scared me more than anything else on earth.

"Look, he's fast asleep." I hadn't even noticed that Liam had drifted off; he'd freed his hand again too and was holding his closed fist against his cheek. "You did that. There's nothing I could have done for him."

I looked down at my son, and just breathed in his baby smell. I didn't even know how to describe it, it was clean linen, and no tears shampoo and I don't know—sunshine.

"Settle in, Baby. We'll keep them up on the bed until they want their next feed." I wasn't surprised when he cheekily pulled away from me so he could grab Ana.

"You just wanted an excuse to have them in the bed, didn't you?" He didn't even try to hide his boyish grin.

He settled in next to me, lying on his back as he rested Ana against his chest. She'd gotten both of her hands loose as she and they were under her chin. I wanted to take a picture of her, but with Liam against my shoulder sleeping soundly I didn't want to move too much.

Despite what Edward had said, I didn't want to have to try to settle him back down.

Ana was the same way with Edward, I realized. She started getting really fussy when I'd handed her to Alice after I'd fed her. Alice tried and tried, but her fussing quickly turned to cries. Super Dad, took her from his resigned sister and within seconds, her cries turned to whimpers, and then to nothing.

When Dad mentioned that she'd just wanted her Daddy, I thought he was being a smart ass. I didn't realize he was stating a fact.

"Great," I sassed staring at Edward, "another Daddy's Girl."

That struck a chord, reminding me of my other missing daughter. My four legged fur baby, Topaz. "When can we bring Topaz home?"

Edward was peacefully drifting off, but at my question his eyes widened, forcing himself to look at me.

Our family wouldn't be complete until she was home with us, but we just wanted to make sure she was happy with the twins being here now. Especially Ana. Topaz has never had to share our affections full time before.

"We can go to Mum and Dad's tomorrow and visit her to see how she does with the twins." We were getting our girl back tomorrow.

It was lunch time before Edward and I were comfortable enough to visit Esme and Carlisle. We wanted to make sure the twins were fed and changed, but we got a little derailed. It took us way too long to get downstairs with all of their stuff because we didn't know how long we'd be there for.

"Okay, let's go!" Edward cheered, pulling away from the Point and driving to his parents' house. I couldn't remember the last time we'd actually gone to their house. More so than not, everyone ended up here. That still hadn't changed.

When we pulled into the driveway, I could see how buoyed Edward appeared as we got closer to the house. It was an older style house set down a long driveway..

I loved visiting their home. In my mind, it was the perfect family home, something I'd always dreamed of growing up in, but never really got to experience for an extended period of time.

The house was big and was probably from a similar era as the Point. There was a veranda entrance and a grand looking front door. Esme had clearly put a lot of work into the house, but none of the modern lines took away from the heritage of it. It was warm, comfortable and full of family photos everywhere.

One day, Edward and I were going to have a home like theirs. We just needed to find it. Not that we'd been looking lately, but we knew we'd find it soon enough.

Edward managed to get the twins out while I grabbed their baby bags. They were mostly full of changes of clothes, extra bibs and blankets—especially the little swaddling ones.

It wasn't until I heard barking from inside that I realized how much I missed having Topaz at home with us. "Let's go see our girl." Edward smiled as he held a carrier in each hand.

Neither of us hesitated as we let ourselves in. Being so secluded, Esme and rarely locked the door. They'd also installed an electric gate, so they felt pretty comfortable about their safety.

"Oh, Thank God!" Esme said instead of a greeting, she was joined by Carlisle who was equally relieved, each of them taking a baby carrier from Edward.

"We love your dog, we do. But you'd think we were torturing her, Edward." Carlisle admitted, glancing back at the dog who was being kept behind a baby gate. When had they installed that?

"What do you mean?" Topaz had never been much of a trouble maker.

Carlisle gave me a kind smile, but it felt more placating than anything else. "She's been up all night looking for you two and crying. When she found your room Edward, she refused to leave it. That's why we put the baby gate in, we hoped then she'd want to eat, but she's been moping on that old jersey of mine I found stuffed under your pillow."

I couldn't help but snicker quietly at the look Carlisle was giving Edward. I'd have to find out more about this jersey of his—or was it Topaz's now?

"Let me check on her." I let Edward pass so he could check on Topaz. It gave me time to unbuckle the twins so we could get them ready to meet their soon to be new best friend.

Edward and I had watched countless YouTube videos about how to introduce your pets to your new baby. The videos were helpful, sure, but they weren't predictive. Topaz was our dog. We just needed to trust her and us.

Esme and Carlisle set the twins carriers down on the nearest coffee table. I didn't like leaving them in the carriers when I didn't need to, so I quickly pulled Liam out. Carlisle was behind me in a second so I handed him off to Carlisle. I was planning on giving Esme, Ana, but when I went to get her Charlie was standing there with her in his arms.

There weren't a lot of photos floating around of Charlie holding me when I was a baby, but seeing him with Ana had me thinking I needed to look harder to find them. He was a natural with her, and she seemed as content in her arms as she did her daddy's.

With the twins settled, I quickly headed to the kitchen where I found Edward sitting on the floor with Topaz in his lap. Her whole body was practically shaking; her tail was wagging so furiously.

"Hello, My Big Girl!" I greeted, shocked at how quickly she moved. It'd been much longer since I'd seen her than Edward.

He'd made trips home to check on her while I was in the hospital. It'd probably been close to a week since I'd seen her, and it felt like it too!

She was so excited she bowled me over and sent me tripping over Edward, but he caught me and then her. We were a pool of too many lips and poorly contained excitement. "We missed you too, Girl."

Edward sat up a little and placed me sideways on his lap so we were more comfortable. Topaz was mostly on the floor now, her head resting on my lap.

When I heard the baby gate unlatch, I looked up as the grandparents looked down, laughing at us as they shook their heads. By the time I noticed Esme pointing her phone at us, it was too late. She'd probably already taken a picture.

"This one is going in the baby books." Of course it was.

"I don't want to break up the family reunion, but these two little bundles want their parents." Charlie caught everyone's attention.

I'd been so caught up; I hadn't heard the twins crying. Aren't moms supposed to have super hearing?

When I tried to stand, Topaz tried to hold me down with her paws. "Hey, settle." I scolded, feeling bad at the look in Topaz's eyes. She looked so sad it broke my heart. Edward could stay with her for now.

I took Liam from Carlisle first, holding him over my shoulder. I think it was his favorite spot. Ana was getting fussy too, and I didn't think it was because she was hungry. I wanted to grab her too, but it was I didn't like holding more than one of them if they were like this.

Dad clearly wanted me to take her too, but I couldn't. "She wants, Edward." I told him, knowing it was the truth.

I think they were overwhelmed by the number of people fawning over them.

"Can you bring her down here, Charlie? I've got Topaz settled." Dad stepped around me and gently slid Ana into Edward's waiting arms. He shifted her a little, so she had her head snuggled against his neck, his whole hand secured her to him. His hand held Topaz's collar to keep her calm, but also as a buffer if she became too excited.

If the worst were to happen, I just hoped that Edward had the reflexes to settle her before she could hurt Ana.

Topaz seemed intrigued, sniffing at her blanket. I was only quietly freaking out, but she didn't pull or tug against Edward's grip. It still made me anxious though—I just had to trust that Edward, who'd never owned a dog in his life, knew what he was doing.

"Now Topaz, this is your little sister." Edward introduced, "she's very small and fragile, so she's going to need you to look after her, and your brother."

I guess that was my cue. I knelt down so that I was next to Edward and Topaz, holding Liam as tightly as I could. I took Edward's lead and turned so that Topaz could sniff his feet.

She was genuinely intrigued by the babies, but not vicious. There was nothing in her actions that worried me. When she started licking their blankets, first Liam's, and then Ana's, all our fears were for naught.

"Guess our girl's coming home with us." Esme and Carlisle's cheers were louder than my agreement.

I couldn't wait to have our whole family together again.

Topaz settled down soon after and returned to her normal self. Edward took her out in the yard so the two of them could play while Esme helped me with the twins. I'd learned how to use the breast pump when I was in the hospital, but I still wasn't sure if I was doing it right. I figured with Esme's help, it would probably be easier.

Esme's didn't seem fazed in the least as she led me by the hand to their master bedroom.

"These are a lot more complicated than when I pumped for Alice and Edward." She noted, as she helped me get everything connected.

It was another reason I wanted her help. Rose was a bit occupied now that she'd decided to take Toni into work with her. Esme was busy too, but she'd made the decision to stick to small contracts the closer Rose got to delivery and she hadn't taken any new ones since.

She'd waited long enough to be a grandmother, and she was going to use as much of her time as possible to be with her grandchildren.

"I remember the first time that Carlisle got to feed each of our kids." Esme said, after she'd finally helped me figure out the connectors. It was an odd feeling having the pump sucking at my breast, but it created the same kind of relief the kids feeding did.

"Really?" She nodded her head enthusiastically.

"Of course. It's not something I'm likely to forget. He was so happy and awed. I think it's easy to forget that they've loved our kids almost as long as we have. We knew about them longer, and got to feel them kick and move before they did, but for as long as they've known they were coming, they've loved them. If I know my son as well as I think I do, he's loved these kids before you two even conceived them."

I looked over my shoulder see the twins sleeping peacefully on Esme and Carlisle's massive four poster, king bed. We'd made a little pillow fort around them just in case, though I didn't think they were capable of moving anywhere.

"Esme, I'm scared." I admitted in barely a whisper as I watched my kids sleep.

"I didn't know what I was doing when Emmett was born, and Carlisle and I were nowhere near as accomplished as Edward and you." Once my left breast was empty, I switched to my right. Esme watched silently and waited for me to settle before she continued. "Emmett was a difficult baby to start with. He was fussy, had colic, and he didn't like to sleep unless he was in my or Carlisle's arms. Carlisle and I didn't have a lot of support when Em got here, so we did everything blindly. I've told Emmett this, so it's not secret, but I had a hard time bonding with him."

She did? But she and Carlisle epitomized parenthood to me. I loved the relationship that they had with their kids, and each other. They were a ride or die type of family. They'd kill for each other, they all would; even Rose and Jasper. I couldn't imagine Esme not bonding with Emmett. They had such a special relationship. She still called him Bubba from time to time.

"Why did you have such a hard time bonding?" I needed to know.

Esme grabbed my hands, and held them between hers. "My pregnancy wasn't as perfect or easy as yours. I had horrible morning sickness all the way through, Carlisle and I had a trying time because he was trying to get in his hours so that he could be with me when Emmett was born. It was tough, somedays I couldn't bring myself to look at him, I felt like he was tearing my marriage apart when he should have been the thing—the person to bring us together."

I was having a hard time wrapping my head around what she was telling me. It seemed unreal. But, it also wasn't something that Esme would ever lie about. It's too heavy of a topic for that.

I saw her as the quintessential Super Mom and even she'd struggled.

"What changed?" Esme gave me a shy smile as she thought about my question.

"Emmett became sick. I could barely look at my husband and my son was making me feel crazy, and he got sick. It had an ear infection from teething, but it was making my already difficult baby a monster child. Somedays, I didn't even want to look at him, because staring back at me were my husband's eyes. I needed my husband, and he wasn't there." I squeezed her hands as they rested in my lap.

"Carlisle came home from work after a particularly rough day. He'd been through hell and back and pretty much walked into another type of hell when he got home. I was a mess on the floor in the lounge, Emmett was in his nappy on the floor on the rug screaming his head off, and I was a sobbing mess too. I hadn't showered, I'd barely managed to eat through a piece of toast and I'd been _so_ tired. Carlisle didn't hesitate to get down on the floor with us. He crawled over to me, kissed my cheek as I cried and lifted Emmett and just lay him across my chest. I wanted to call him crazy, but as he held Emmett to me and was just there with us, Em settled down." I fussed with the breast pump so that I could take it off and fix my top. As soon as it was fixed, and I was dressed again, I hugged myself to Esme.

No one had ever told me how difficult being a Mom really was. I'd been told as soon as I held my babies that everything would feel right and I'd know what to do. But I didn't! I knew nothing. Rose was a natural, but she'd wanted to be a mom for her whole life. I hadn't. I hadn't even thought about or wanted it until I had met Edward, and even then it was in the abstract. The reality of motherhood was nothing like that dream.

Esme was the best Mom I knew, and she didn't take to it easy either. This is what I needed to hear from the start. Not the stepford mom version.

"If I learned anything through that experience Bella, it was that it's okay to ask for help. I practically shut Carlisle out when we brought Emmett home. I was always barking at him to leave the baby sleeping, and not to play with him because he'd finally settled down. I was so frustrated and fed up I didn't want Carlisle to undo the things that I'd done—like finally get Emmett to sleep. I almost destroyed my marriage by trying to be what I thought a 'Mum' was, Bella. I didn't even take advice from my own mother. We're in unique positions where our husbands know more about raising children than we do, at least medically. Do what I didn't. Listen to Edward, let him help you. Don't think you need to do this all on your own, especially when you have two beautiful babies who're always going to love and need you. Parenthood isn't easy, Baby, but it's worth it. Definitely worth it."

"Thank you, Esme," I pulled back a little so I could look her in the eye, "just, _thank you._ "

She smiled at me, cupping my face in her hand the way her son does. "You're probably one of the best things to ever happen to this family, B. You never need to thank me for being your _mom_."

I looked at her with wide eyes. Was she giving me permission to call her _Mom?_ Because it'd been so long since I thought I'd call anyone Mom again. But that was because I never thought about asking Esme if I could call her Mom.

"I love you, Mom." I said with as much sincerity as I could manage.

A throat clearing could our attention as both Esme and I turned to see Carlisle and Edward standing in the door way. "You guys okay in here?"

Esme and I looked at each other, and I smiled at her vibrant eyes.

"Mom and I are perfect." Edward looked at me with a massive smile on his face. At first I thought it was because I called Esme 'Mom', but he was eyeing the breast milk I managed to pump.

Edward didn't want to pressure me, but I knew he really wanted to able to feed the twins himself. He loved every opportunity that he got to feed Toni.

"Is that?"

I looked down the breast milk. "Looks like you'll be able to help with the feeds too, Daddy."

I felt like I'd only just managed to get to sleep when cries came over the baby monitor.

The twins were hard work. Despite our best efforts, their night schedules were somehow different.

During the day they were angels. They ate, they shit, they slept, and they did it together. I'd been working really hard to pump milk as often as I could; it actually made my life a lot easier because if someone was visiting, they could help with the feeds too.

Edward loved it too. There were times when he'd wake up before me to get one of the babies, and by the time I'd finally rouse he'd be nodding off in the rocker in their room bottle in one hand, and baby in the other.

"Your turn." I told Edward, rolling over and taking the covers with me. I also grabbed one of Edward's pillows and buried my head under it.

"Maybe if we leave him, he'll calm down." Since we'd moved, the twins had their own rooms. It had helped a lot with the twins mixed night schedules.

Edward had found us the house of our dreams. It was much bigger than I'd thought we'd manage to find, but it was perfect.

It was similar in style to Edward's family home, only a little bigger, not that I thought that was possible. It did lack Esme's magic touch though, because I did not have the same finesse in the garden that she had. I also, had no intention of planting one.

Our home had a similar grand entrance to the Point, with a long driveway that ended in a circle. The garage was off to the right side of the house with a path off the main drive to the left. We didn't use it much, but we probably would when it started getting cooler. It was too much trouble to juggle the kids when we had to get the twins anywhere.

Just when we thought Liam was settling down, his cries became more desperate and Ana started up too. "Guess we don't get to sleep in. We know she's not crying herself back to sleep."

Ana was our little miss attitude, with a capital A.

Edward slid out of bed, but not before tugging the covers and pretty much rolling me out of them. He pulled so hard I almost rolled out of bed. "Dick!" I grumbled, as I stomped after him.

When my wild swing actually struck him, he looked at me wide eyed. Hell, I was wide eyed.

"That hurt."

Before I could apologize he picked me up, threw me over the shoulder and tossed me onto the bed. Jumping on top of me seconds later, and he held me pinned. "That wasn't nice Mrs. Cullen. I should punish you."

"No, don't please." I mocked, knowing damn well I wouldn't mind any punishment he was going to dole out. I'd gotten my all clear about two months ago, but Edward and I rarely got to take advantage of my new health. Twin cock blockers made sure of that.

Edward's lips brushed mine gently, but he pulled away with a sigh. I could feel how much he wanted to take this further, but we couldn't. Ana's crying had reached a whole new level and I wouldn't have been surprised if Liam could hear her from his room.

For our relationship's sake, we'd put Liam and Ana into adjoining rooms that were actually at the back of the house. There was a shared bathroom between the rooms. We assumed they were probably purposely built that way when the original owners designed the house.

"Come on, you get Son-son and I'll get Angel." Edward said as he finally pulled away. Once he was on his feet, he pulled me up too. He quickly kissed my forehead.

When we made it down the hall, Topaz was lying between the two rooms. Her tail was wagging like crazy as she waited for us to let her in. She was crazy fierce where the twins were concerned and was reluctant to let strangers near them.

Edward reached over her and opened both kids' doors at the same time. I wasn't surprised to see her check on Ana first. She sounded like she was in agony. Edward followed her while I went to Liam.

He was in a sleeping bag style sleeper, and his fists were flailing furiously as he cried. The twins were slowly losing that newborn cries, and were starting to sound more and more like babies. "What's wrong, Son-son?"

He didn't soothe at the sound of my voice. He was beyond that point. I reached down and quickly pulled him into my arms, I lifted him up and did a quick diaper check. Didn't smell dirty. I held him to my chest, to see if he was hungry, but he didn't root around.

I settled him over my shoulder, and he found his nook quickly. It took a couple of minutes, but slowly his cries quieted. Once he settled down a bit, I walked through the twins' bathroom into Ana's room. Edward was sitting on the day bed we'd put in her room. He was reclined against a cluster of pillows with Ana on her stomach on his chest. Now she looked like an Angel, well more like a snow angel in her matching sleeper.

"Guess they wanted to be held." Edward smirked, nodding his head. I quickly joined him on the daybed, snuggling into his side. Topaz watched me as I joined them from her spot under Ana's crib.

It was a little creepy, in a 'monster under the bed' kind of way. But it also helped me know that my babies would always have her watching over them. In a few more weeks we'd start leaving the twins' doors open so Topaz could join them. We were mainly waiting for them to develop a consistent sleep schedule first.

"Did you notice that they're starting to teethe?" I looked up at Edward to see he was watching Liam and me.

He did that more often now. He'd just zone out watching us. The twins loved it. They were becoming much more aware and developing their own personalities. They were obsessed with faces.

"I did actually. I didn't even think they were old enough to be teething yet."

I kissed Liam's forehead. I'd googled teething and in some of the pictures and diagrams I saw made my own teeth ache. My poor babies.

"They're not going to stay this little forever." I ran my hand over the back of Liam's head, brushing his soft hair. It'd thickened up quite a bit and was growing quickly too.

"I know, but at the same time I can't wait for them to call me Daddy, and to teach them what little I know of Te Reo. Their first day of kura. I'm both anxious and excited."

As much as I was looking forward to all of those things, there was something I wanted us to figure out first. "I want us to get married on our anniversary."

In the dull light from the hallway, it was hard to miss the shock on Edward's face. I guess he hadn't expected that.

The month that Dad was here, we'd managed to keep our marriage under wraps, but I hated every minute of it. I still don't regret our decision, but I wish we'd thought to get Dad here.

"The twins may not be walking by then." He mused. It wasn't a no.

"They don't need to be walking. We can carry them."

He sat up a little higher, pulling me up with him. "You're serious."

"I want my Dad to be there this time, E. Sue, Seth and Leah—I guess Renee and Phil too. I want your parents there and I think Rose deserves the chance to be the matron of honor at your wedding. By the way, she's standing with me at this one—just so you know."

"So we're going to plan a proper wedding this time?"

"Yup, and I'm not letting you get a hold of the wedding photos."

"I'd ask you if you were sure about this, Baby Girl, but I guess it's a bit late for that." I scratched at the back of my neck as I looked at Dad.

Never again, would I ever call him Charlie. Not to his face, not out loud and I refused to think it too. He deserved to be called Dad, and for reasons I wasn't even sure of I'd spent years calling him by his given name.

"Dad—,"

"Don't, Baby," he cut me off, "You and Edward did what was right for you. I don't blame you. You are both good people Bella, and he was raised Catholic by his Uncle that I didn't get to meet. I like the idea of those kids not being born out of wedlock."

I turned to face Dad, my skirt billowing out around me. Edward and I were doing everything right this time.

Dad's eyes scanned me from top to bottom. At first, when Alice had mentioned it, I hadn't wanted a wedding dress. I would have happily worn something simpler, but the Cullen women wore me down and after weeks of going to wedding shops, we found _the_ dress.

It wasn't the type of dress that I pictured myself as wearing when I was growing up, but that probably had more to do with the fact that I didn't ever picture my wedding. The dress was perfect. It had a skirt that reminded me of a Calla lily and flared subtly from my hips. The back was open in a deep V that dipped down to my waist; it had a cowl front with no sleeves. It was nothing I ever would have looked for, but everything I wanted, and made of the most luxurious silk ever.

"You look so beautiful, Bella." I watched as a tear slid down his cheek, catching in his moustache.

"Thank you, Dad. For always being here for me even when I didn't realize it."

I was pulled into his arms and crashed against his chest. His familiar smell filing my sense. "I'm your Dad, Bells; I'll always be there for you."

"I wish I'd known that sooner, Dad."

"Ah well, your old man's never held that against you." He cleared his throat. "Now, aren't we supposed to be getting ready to walk down the stairs?"

I nodded my head, not at all shocked as Charlie kissed my forehead. We stood there for what must have been a complete minute, and I enjoyed every second of it. "Come on; let's grab those kids of yours."

We both turned to the playpen that twins were in. I was shocked to see the two of them drifting off. It was too early for their nap, but maybe they were tired? It had been a pretty exciting morning for them.

We'd agreed that Charlie would hold Ana while I carried Liam. Ana was much more content to be in the spotlight than her brother. Maybe it was all the time she spent at the hospital with Edward, I don't know. But she didn't get fussy when people fawned over her. Liam on the other hand cried crocodile tears and screamed. If Edward was around, he could normally get him quiet…eventually, but he normally was only lulled until he was in my arms.

We didn't expect the ceremony to be perfect. We had too many babies involved. We'd settle for our wedding running on time, because it was planned around the twins' naps. When we'd planned it, I didn't think we'd have to worry about them falling asleep on us during the ceremony.

"She's gotten so big." Charlie mused, as he sat Ana on his hip.

They really had grown since he'd seen them last. When he arrived yesterday morning, he'd barely made it through the doors before falling asleep in our spare room.

"Yeah, she has. So has he," I turned so Dad could see Liam. He was sitting on my hip as he held onto the front of my dress, his head resting against my shoulder. "Look at him."

Liam, as we'd expected looked just like Edward. His hair was still pale blonde, but his eyes were exactly the same shade as Edward's. The kids had briefly been in the sun, and the short time they'd spent there, had colored them up a little.

Ana was the blonde haired, blue eyed version of me as a baby. She had Edward's smile though, and she liked to flash it to anyone who'd give her the time of day.

The twins were dressed in outfits that matched Edward and me. Ana was in a simple, cream, short sleeved dress with a skirt that flowed to her knees. Liam was in a miniature tuxedo, although we decided against a bow tie. Liam hated anything tight against his neck and the last thing we wanted was for him to claw at his neck, and scream throughout the ceremony.

"Ready to do this?" I nodded my head at my dad as he kissed Ana's cheek.

"I was born ready."

When I saw Edward at the end of the aisle, I wanted to run to him. He looked so handsome dressed in a simple black tux, complete with a bow tie. As good as he looked in his suit, it was nothing compared to the smile that lit up his face.

 _So beautiful._

I didn't even notice the people in the crowd watching us. I was too busy walking toward my future. I wasn't the only person to notice Edward waiting for us. Our token Daddy's girl did too, as she happily started chanting "Da!"

The walk down the aisle was the longest one I'd ever taken, but when we finally got to the end, and I was up close with Edward, I couldn't help but sigh in relief. I never thought he'd run. He wanted this as much as I did. I just didn't like how long it took to get to him here.

Ana was reaching for Edward before I could, and I wasn't the only person laughing at that one. Charlie gave me another kiss on the forehead before he handed me off to Edward.

I was so focused on Edward; I didn't notice the ceremony was taking place. I think I said 'I do' when I was supposed to, and I remember Liam being out of my arms long enough for me to slide Edward's wedding band back on his finger.

Everything passed by in a blur, and before I could catch my breath, I was sitting at the head table sipping wine. The twins were napping in their side by side stroller, not at all roused by the noise of the party goers.

Edward's fingers tracing lines up and down my back finally brought me back to the present. "I'm shocked you haven't ripped my head off about your new ring."

New ring? I looked down at my left hand and gasped.

My wedding band had been simple, a thin platinum band, now I had bands on either side of my engagement ring. My new one was thin too, but lined with tiny pave diamonds. He'd bought me an eternity band.

"You really didn't need to."

Edward lifted me up from my seat so that I was sitting sideways across his lap. "I know, but that is my commitment to us."

I couldn't stop myself from shaking my head. Of course.

"So does this mean I get to keep you forever?"

Edward scoffed as he met my eyes with a smile on his face. "Bub, you are my forever."

It would have been the perfect moment to kiss Edward, but it was shattered by the babbling of the twins. They really had amazing timing.

I slid off Edward's lap and quickly unbuckled the twins. I quickly grabbed Ana and slid her into Edward's arms, before I reached for Liam. He was grabbing at the air, a sure sign that he wanted to be held.

As the twins grew their newborn cries changed, and now they mostly just made sounds. Ana's first word, unsurprisingly, was Da. Liam's babbling was still intelligible, but I'm sure he'll be saying Ma sooner rather than later; though I've caught Edward on more than one occasion trying to bribe him to say Da.

Edward had pulled my seat closer to his, his arm wrapped around the back of it as he waited for me to take my seat. He'd long since ditched his tailored tuxedo jacket and was left in his dress shirt, top button undone with his sleeves rolled up to his elbows. Ana was sitting is his lap staring wide-eyed at all the guests dancing around.

It was surprising to see her tucked shyly into her Dad's side, her head resting on his chest. She normally loved meeting new people, and this shyness was new. Or, maybe she just felt like her Daddy wasn't giving her enough attention.

Edward kissed my forehead when I settled into my seat, his fingers tracing patterns on my arms. Liam liked our little family cocoon. He sat quietly, his thumb in his mouth as he rested his head against my chest.

The first few weeks had been difficult. I'd had a hard time adjusting to motherhood. Harder than I'd expected, but Esme made things easier. She made me feel like I wasn't a terrible mother when I didn't understand what my kids wanted.

She normalized the adjustments I had gone through. I never really needed more reasons to love that woman, my _Mum_ as I'd forced myself to call her. It was getting easier, although every now and then, I'd call her _Mom_. She didn't seem to mind.

"B?" I turned my head to look up at Edward. He looked so peaceful. You'd think we weren't sitting in the middle of our wedding reception. "Do you ever think about what might have happened if you hadn't come here?"

I couldn't help but frown at that. "No. Never."

If I hadn't have come here, I probably would have ended up marrying Jacob; mostly because it would have been the easier option. We'd probably be living in Forks, or down on the Res so he could look after Billy, and I'd probably be stuck teaching English at Forks High. It would have been a loveless marriage, most likely sexless too.

"Is it weird that I can barely remember what life was like before you?"

I leaned over; my head was resting against his shoulder. Liam didn't seem to mind the new bias he was sitting on. He just clutched my top a little tighter and giggled when Edward peppered kisses against the crown of his head.

"Not weird at all."

We settled back into our contented silence. Edward and I were happy to sit back and watch the revelry going on around us.

Sometimes, I guess you don't need to know what you're going to find.. Because I found my home in Aotearoa, the land of the long white cloud when I wasn't even looking.

 **FIN**

* * *

 **And that's all she wrote.**

 **Just quickly, the song referenced is 'Big Bad World' by Guy Sebastian. It's on his Armageddon album. I've always loved it.**

 **Anahera means Angel, which is why they call her Angel. Ana is pronounced 'Un-a' rather than 'Ann-a'.**

 **For those of you who worried that this story would close without Baby Girl Cullen, not having a name. I hope you're happy with the one that I went with.**

 **As always, I'd love to read your thoughts.**

 **Outtakes and a potential future take will come, promise, so it may be worth subscribing.**

 **Thank you again, to everyone who took time out of there day to read this, and those who took time out of their day to help me get this us here.**

 **Nic.**


	12. Edward Outtake 1: Tornado Tanya

**Hello, hello! I am back, kind of. Well I am. Anyway, I have some completed one shots that my always amazing Edwardsfirstkiss has lent her red pen to, even though her RL is about as hectic as it can get. I still love her dedication to this project and really appreciate her willingness to help me. So thanks, EFK, you're the real MVP of this fic.**

 **For those of you who have been waiting for me to get these up here, sorry. I lost my job, which sucks, but whatever. I've moved back to New Zealand, with my parents (because free food and rent, is still free food and rent - they have also refused to give my cat back) and I start a new job tomorrow. Not bad considering I only just got back into the country around 5:30AM Monday morning.**

 **I hope you enjoy Edward's POV, he's a good egg.**

* * *

By the time I got home from the hospital, saying that I was tried was an understatement. I wound up in a last minute surgery before I could get my coat off. I hated emergency C sections, but they'd—the on call OB—let the mother labour way too long and it was unavoidable.

Mother and baby were both safe, which was great, but the consequence was that the mother required an emergency hysterectomy to control the bleeding. It was the mother's third pregnancy, so she wasn't completely heart broken when I had to tell her, but her husband was. He'd wanted a rugby team, but instead he had three daughters. He'd get over it, I knew that much, considering he had almost lost his wife, but it would probably be a trying time for his family, nonetheless.

I'd need to lodge a complaint with the hospital administration and inquest into why no one had intervened before I had gotten there, but that could wait until I was in bed.

I stripped my clothes off as I was walking up the stairs. Hoping that I could shed the weight I was carrying as easy as I did my clothing.

It didn't help that I was coming home to an empty monstrosity of a house that did well to remind me I was doing alright for myself, but little else.

I hated this house. It was the complete opposite of what I wanted in a house. It was too much. Tanya loved it, with its pitched ceilings and glass and marble everything, but it didn't feel homey. We compromised in some ways. I got a yard instead of a high-rise apartment, but it would take me a long time to come around to this house.

By the time I made it to my room, I was naked and my wife wasn't home. I moved past the bed quickly, throwing my clothes into the basket on the way, as I walked into the ensuite.

I may have loathed this house, but I did like the bathroom; namely the shower. I turned the knobs, making sure the tap was completely open and as hot as I could get it, before I stepped inside.

Under the spray, I couldn't bring myself to do much of anything as I just let the water wash over me, hoping that with every drop more and more of the day would simply wash away.

"Fuck!" I found myself saying as I leaned my head against the wall.

That poor woman!

Yeah, they were okay with three kids, but I saw in her eyes that she really wanted to give her husband a son, and now she physically couldn't.

When standing got too hard, I sunk down to the floor, holding my knees to my chest. Leaning back, I was as close to a human ball as I was going to get. The water pressure was intense as it beat away at my back—my most recent failure still bearing down on my shoulders.

Where normally the sensation would be welcome, a balm of sorts to ease my muscles, it didn't help. I didn't know of anything that could help.

Gross negligence! That's what I was dealing with. If I didn't enjoy the thrill so much I easily could have and would have simply gone into private practice with Dad, but I didn't really have it in me to build the familiar bedside manner that dad had. I wasn't that good with names and remembered little facts about people's lives.

It wasn't that I was uncaring. I just didn't quite have the social skills my dad had. He was a people person from way back. I wasn't. I liked my close friends, and family. Dad opened his heart to everyone who stepped foot in his practice, and I couldn't be that open with people. I couldn't.

After what felt like days, but was probably an hour tops I dragged myself up to my feet and shut off the shower. After a piss poor attempt at drying myself, I wrapped the towel around my waist.

With sluggish steps, I crossed the floor and stood in front of the bathroom counter, the cool marble a stark contrast after the hot shower. Leaning over the sink, I found myself just staring at the fogged over man looking back at me in the mirror.

I looked like shit. My eyes were tired, my skin practically blistering red and my eyes matched. I'd been crying. The tears having washed down the drain unbidden, disguised with the water falling from the shower head.

When I decided to go into obstetrics after general surgery, I knew there was always the chance of something like this happening—but the reality was harder than I thought. I dropped my head and leaned down, resting on my hands and accidentally knocking something off the counter. I assumed it was my watch at first, but I hadn't actually gotten around to taking it off.

I knelt down and picked up whatever it was. I wasn't expecting a pregnancy test. Shit.

I had to tell a couple that they would never be able to have children again, and Tanya was pregnant.

Shit!

I didn't know how to feel. I wanted children, yeah. I wanted them soon actually, I always had. Well, in all honesty, if Tanya had been more willing, I'd already be a dad. She was happier just being us than having a family. At some point, she'd always said. I guess the time had come.

A dad. I was finally going to be a dad.

I sank to my knees, holding the test tight to my chest. "A baby."

I couldn't for the life of me figure out how far along Tanya was. Our sex life wasn't as great as it could have been, we both had busy lives and my job made it difficult sometimes to be home.

Having two specialties in a public hospital made it difficult for me to say no to surgeries or extra shifts. Tanya was as busy as I was too, so it wasn't uncommon for me to come home to an empty house.

I needed her to come home. I wanted to celebrate with her. I had the next forty-eight hours off and I wanted to spend them with her.

I wanted to know if she'd seen a doctor, if not I was going to get her in to the next available appointment I could find. I wanted to be with her at all of her appointments and I knew I'd banked enough favours to make sure that would happen.

Aunty Kate, Tanya's Aunty, was going to be so excited for us. Mum and Dad too, of course. Let alone the rest of the family, Em, Alice, Rose and Jasper.

I had so many baby cousins and even nieces and nephews, but this would be mum's and dad's first moko. The first Cullen mokopuna.

Would mum and dad want to go by Māmā and Koro, or maybe Nanny and Papa?

I know mum and the girls didn't really get a long too well with Tanya, she wasn't like the other women in my life. Which is maybe what drew me to her. But this could change that. It had to.

Wow, the first Cullen grandchild.

"I love you little bit." I said aloud, thinking about my little baby. Potentially no more than a blip because I hadn't noticed Tanya having any symptoms.

I didn't know how long Tanya would be, so I decided to keep the test with me while I went downstairs and made myself something to eat. It was late, but I couldn't remember the last time I'd eaten anything, so I had to eat something.

Checking the fridge, the pickings were slim. Tanya wasn't a massive cook or any kind of cook, really. So unless I'd managed to find time to get groceries, it was rarely done.

There wasn't even bread!

I grabbed my phone and quickly skimmed through the delivery apps to see which one had the quickest delivery. McDonald's, it'd have to do. I quickly ordered The Boss meal, a large and an L&P, I was just about to hit order when I added ten nuggets too.

Twenty minutes until my food got here. Not too long, but with the way my stomach was rumbling it was going to feel like the longest twenty minutes of my life.

I couldn't help digging through the fridge once more, and I was happy to find one of Tanya's protein dessert-breakfast pudding things. My first spoonful was nowhere near as tasty as I thought it was going to be. Or maybe I just really wanted actual chocolate.

It kept me occupied enough until I heard the very satisfying sound of someone knocking on my front door.

"Yes!" Sprinting to the door I practically wrenched it open, shocking the poor delivery woman. "Sorry." I offered quickly before taking the bag from her hand as well as my drink.

She disappeared quickly, barely uttering a goodbye.

I sat on the couch, checking my pocket quickly to make sure the test was still there. I nodded my head before digging into my dinner. Two massive meat patties, an egg, lettuce, two cheeses, mustard, mayo—so good! Until I bit into a massive piece of raw white onion. Gagging a little I quickly scrapped the taste off my tongue and picked off the rest from the sandwich.

I had just managed to eat through my nuggets when the front door opened and Tanya stumbled in, off her face.

"What the fuck, Tan!" I was pissed. She was pregnant, with my baby and she was stumbling home drunk in the middle of the night—on a Wednesday!

"Oh don't be such a prick, Edward, it was ladies night." She slurred, kicking off her shoes as she went.

"Ladies night! I hope you're fucking joking."

She flopped into the armchair, quickly reaching under her top. She threw some silicon things on the lamp table—nipple stickers? Stickies?

"What the fuck? Why're you acting like you've got a stick up your ass, Edward! I wanted a fucking drink so I went out and got a fucking drink!"

I shot up off the couch, because I needed to pace, and threw the pregnancy test at her. "Stick up my ass, maybe! But you're fucking pregnant with my baby and you're out drinking with the girls? Do you have any idea what alcohol does to a baby in utero? Nothing good! It can be debilitating!"

She actually rolled her eyes at me before throwing the test onto the coffee table. "Well you don't have to worry about that, I got rid of it. No need for Doctor Doom to turn up and tell me about infant alcoholism, or whatever."

I was too shocked to be angry.

Got rid of it?

She killed my fucking baby! My baby.

The blood of my blood. The first Cullen grandchild.

Actually, no. The feeling in my chest, wracking my body wasn't anger. It was sorrow. She killed my baby. My baby!

"You killed my baby!" How could she just sit there and look me in the eye as she told me this? What the hell kind of a woman does that? How could she be so heartless?

I looked at her, like really looked at her. Her tan skin, small frame and amazingly long legs. Her blue eyes though undeniably beautiful were cold, selfish and framed by way too much of that black eyelash stuff—mask something?

"Don't worry. It wasn't yours." She waved her hand at me as though that made all the difference.

Wasn't mine!

"Hold the fuck up! You had an abortion, and you expect me to be okay with this because the baby wasn't mine. Whose kid was it then? Who did you go outside of our marital bed and fuck, Tanya?" Nothing about her position changed. She was still draped over the armchair, acting like she didn't have a care in the world. "Five years. We've been together five years—how long have I not been enough for you? Did you start sleeping with this man before or after we got married, hmmm? Is that where you've been, when you've been out at Aunty Kate's or hanging out with Irina?"

"What difference does it make? I have needs Edward; a woman has sexual needs too. We're sexual creatures. Did you really think I was going to sit around here waiting for you to have sex with me? It's just sex."

I don't—I couldn't. Just sex! We wrote our own fucking wedding vows! Or was that a lie? "I gave you my life, my body, my heart and my soul faithfully. It is yours, as it always has been, forever and always. In this life and the next. That's what you told me, when you married me. Faithfully. Sleeping with other men because you want to get your rocks off is not faithful. Whose kid is it—at least tell me that?"

"What difference does it make whose kid it was, it's not the first abortion I've had?" The conversation had sobered her some, but everything about her just screamed nonchalance. She didn't care. She actually didn't care. Not the first abortion?

"It makes all the fucking difference—do I know them? Are they a colleague of mine? A friend? How did you meet them? Who did you want so badly that you wanted to ruin your marriage for? How many of my kids have you killed?"

When she held her hand up in front of me and starting counting on her fingers, I was done. "You don't actually know, do you?"

My skin crawled with the very idea that the woman who shared a bed with me, was sleeping around with other men. Not another man, other men. I needed to get tested. I needed to sterilise my bed, and I needed her to get out of my fucking house.

"I'm done. Pack your shit and get the fuck out. You need all of your shit out of here by five pm tomorrow. Anything still here, I'll fucking burn." I turned my back on her and grabbed my keys and wallet.

"You can't kick me out, this is my house too!" I scoffed, sliding my feet into my jandals that were sat next to the front door.

I opened the door and turned around to look at her one last time, "It's my name on the fucking lease. Move your shit and get out of here Tanya. You'll be hearing from lawyer too. We're done!"

"Fuck you Edward Cullen, you can't divorce me! You don't know what you're doing! I'm the best thing that ever happened to—," I slammed the door behind me and could hear her inaudible screaming through the wood.

I didn't think, I just got in my car and drove. Baby Cullen… my baby. Taken from this world before I even had a chance to know about it. I mean, not this baby. Because apparently this one wasn't mine, but the idea that she so easily could get an abortion had me wondering how many times she'd had them. How many of my babies had she so easily 'gotten rid of'?

It was a long, silent fifteen minute drive to mum and dad's. I didn't hesitate to let myself in as I quietly moved through the house to their room.

This, unlike mine, was a home. The furniture was oversized and well used. There were cushions and blankets everywhere, and so many photos. Some framed, some not. This was our life throughout the years.

Yeah, it had embarrassing baby photos, lining walls, filling lamp tables, counter tops, bookshelves. Mum was obsessed, and they were everywhere.

A massive framed photo of me as a baby caught my eye in the hallway. I was a cute kid, especially with my super blonde hair and bright blue-green eyes.

I found myself tracing my own features. Little nose, little eyes, little ears, and little mouth. All me, the perfect mixture of Mum and Dad.

I teared up again, thinking about what I'd lost. Maybe it wasn't even mine to have had to begin with. Maybe the last half decade of my life had been a lie. Did I want something so badly in my life that I let myself just lose it?

Maybe it wasn't Tanya; maybe it was me the whole time? No. I refused to believe that. She played me. I loved her completely, with my whole being. She couldn't love me. I doubted she even loved herself, especially if she was so easily able to just give her body away.

Where was her self-respect?

I shook my head in an effort to get rid of that thought. She meant nothing to me now. She'd made sure of that.

I didn't hesitate as I kicked my shoes off outside the bedroom door, taking a moment to try to settle down and stop the flood of tears. She wasn't worth my tears.

I didn't hesitate as I moved quickly across the room, walking in front of the TV just as the bad guy turned up. The TV screamed, and so did my parents as I collapsed onto the bed between the two of them.

With my arms wrapped around them, I could feel their hearts racing. It took them a minute before they paused the TV, I'm pretty sure right as someone was being killed.

"Edward, baby, what's wrong?" Mum asked, sitting up as much as she could before wrapping her arms around me and squeezing.

"I thought I was finally going to be a dad—," I began, but I couldn't get it out as sobs wracked my body. I thought I'd be able to stop crying by the time I got here, but I was wrong. So very wrong.

Mum was asking me about Tanya and so was Dad. They wanted to know if they should send someone over to check on her, like Rose or Alice. I shook my head no to each and every question they asked because I couldn't get the words out.

Also, if I was going to send Rose and Alice over, it would be with instructions to kill on sight.

Fuck Tanya. She can kill herself in the tub for all I care. "She killed my baby!" I found myself screaming. "I don't care what happens to her!"

Mum and Dad both gasped, and asked more questions, but I couldn't answer them. I couldn't. It was too real to think about. How does someone do that? Just get rid of a baby like its nothing. It was a living breathing human being, a tiny one, sure, but it was alive.

The minutes passed as Mum and Dad held me and let me cry. They stopped asking questions, probably when they realised I was in no state to answer, and just let me get it all out.

"Talk to me, Sweet boy." Ma said, as she ran her fingers through my hair, making me feel like a kid again.

"Tanya got pregnant with another man's baby and had an abortion." I raised my head and looked up at both of my parents. They were looking down at me with so much love and sincerity; I could feel the tears falling.

It was no secret in my family that more than anything I wanted to be a dad. Hell, mum has been telling me for years that fatherhood was made for me.

"Tanya told you this?" Dad asked levelly, and I simply nodded my head in response.

"Women have needs, and I wasn't home. So she went out and found sex elsewhere. I found a pregnancy test in the bathroom, it was hers—a positive result. For an hour I thought I was finally going to be a dad. I planned our life out. How we could raise our baby, what it might look like—first day of kura and—I saw it all! Everything I've been working for, it was in my grasp and then she came home drunk. I confronted her and that's when she said she'd 'gotten rid of it', like it was rubbish or something." Ma gasped as I recounted the sordid tale, so did dad. He hated the idea of women getting abortions. He was the product of an unwed mother in the early sixties so he was put up for adoption when he was born, but at least he had a life and amazing parents who were in the position to take him in.

"What kind of person does that? She's always known that I've wanted kids—always. I wanted to start trying before I went into obstetrics, I could have done my fellowship later, but she told me to go for it. I thought, like seriously thought, it was because she wanted me to do that so we could have more time to ourselves before we had another person depending on us for everything." I sat up a little and pulled a pillow to my chest; it was one of dad's and smelt like his cologne and shampoo. "I don't know how to feel, but at the same time I'm so angry. If she never wanted kids, then why did she marry me? There's nothing I've wanted more in my whole life than a family."

"Baby," Mum cooed, snuggling into my side as dad awkwardly wrapped his arm around me too, the pillow was making the position weirdly uncomfortable so I got rid of the one behind me and leaned into dad. "You did nothing wrong, okay? I need you to know that. It's not your fault."

"I know that! I know that beyond any shadow of a doubt. But it is my fault. I picked her, I married her, I asked her to spend the rest of her life with me, faithfully and—fuck, she cheated on me and had god knows how many abortions and got rid of god knows how many of my babies. So yes, I know I'm not responsible for her decisions, but I can't help but feel responsible for the pain I feel right now. If I hadn't picked her, maybe—I don't know!"

"You know you have a home here, right?" I looked at Dad and rolled my eyes.

"Yeah, Dad, I know." He nodded his head before pulling me a little further into his chest. I almost felt like a boy again, except for the very adult problem I now had. "I'm filing for divorce."

Like a kid, I cuddled in with my parents and let sleep take me. One thought lingered above all else… I was probably never going to be a dad.

I woke up alone in my parents' bed, dad's pillow cuddled to my chest like a lifeline. What was I going to do?

I needed to call the hospital first. I wasn't due back in for a couple of days, but I needed the rest of the week off. They'd have to figure things out without me.

I raided dad's drawers and pulled out a pair of track pants and one of his old jumpers. It was threadbare to say the least, but it was probably the most comfortable thing I'd ever worn—and I wore it whenever I could steal it from him.

I actually wondered how it always seemed to make it back into his drawers.

I padded downstairs and wasn't surprised to see everyone nursing cups of tea as they ate. Mum must have cooked because the bacon looked perfect. Only Mum could make a breakfast that turned out that good.

Alice was the first to notice me and was up on her feet and practically tackling me around the waist as she held me, squeezing a little tight. "I'm so sorry, Teddy."

I wrapped my arms around her and just held her to me. Alice and I had always been close growing up. Em and Al fought all the time, but Alice and I, I don't know. She just got me, and I got her. She never liked Tanya, and maybe I should have listened to her.

Her instincts for people were always on the money, especially as she grew older.

"I guess you can say, 'I told you so'." I tried to joke, but Alice shook her head into my chest.

Her tiny little elbow jabbed me in the rib, making me cringe a bit. "Hey, watch where you point that shit, Allie."

I joined the two of them at the table and wasn't surprised when Mum put a plate full of food down in front of me. Yeah, the last thing my stomach wanted right now was food, but it was Mum's cooking. She wrapped her arms around my shoulders as she passed, and I returned her hug. Giving her cheek a kiss. "I love you, Mum."

We didn't share the sentiment often, but maybe we should. However, I knew in my heart that each member of my family loved each other whole heartedly.

Rose cleared her throat gaining my attention, but not before stealing a mushroom from my plate. I didn't have to try too hard to look over Alice's head to meet Rose's gaze. "Can I move her shit out?"

Despite myself, I couldn't help but laugh. "Nice, Rose. What time is it?"

"Eleven. She's got six hours, right?" I nodded my head. I did say that her stuff needed to be out by five, and I meant it.

"Cool, Allie let's go take out the rubbish."

Alice let me go and followed behind Rose, pure determination in their stride. I may have hated Tanya, but I didn't want my sisters to go to jail.

"I'm coming with you." Everyone clearly looked surprised at my announcement. I wasn't going for Tanya, I was going for me. I didn't want her to take anything else from me. Not my time, not my money, not things. I just wanted her completely gone from my life and the only way to make sure that happened, was to be able to get rid of every piece of her.

"Okay, we're all going then, Jasper picked up boxes on his way over." I didn't think she deserved boxes but I guess that was very mature of mum to organise.

We took two cars over to the house, mine and Dad's. They followed me over and pulled in behind me. Tanya wasn't home, but not surprisingly all of her stuff was, except the pregnancy test. That was nowhere to be found.

"So, should we," Rose pointed between herself and Alice, "start in the bedroom?" I nodded my head. I didn't think I could deal with that, or even look at my bed the same way again. It was our marital bed. The first thing we christened when we were married.

While my family bustled about the house, I just flopped down into the same chair I had sat in last night as my world shattered around me. The leather was cold underneath me, the same as this whole house felt, even with my whole family filling the walls, it felt too big and empty.

I'd always dreamed of a home, one like the one Mum and Dad had raised us in. I wanted carpet and rugs, wooden furnishings and big couches and chairs full of cushions and soft blankets.

I didn't need marble flooring and glass and steel everything else. Leather was uncomfortable, too hot or too cold depending on the temperature, and if the aircon wasn't on, then your ass would stick to it in the summer.

I wouldn't bring an animal into this house, let alone a child. How hadn't I seen this before? How had I missed the obvious?

We were never meant to be together, ever. We shouldn't have dated as long as we did, or been married as long as we had been.

Our lives were too different, our wants too. We'd only ever met by a fluke chance, but where she was an independent free spirit, I wasn't. I was a family person; I needed my family and their support. I was always happy with them, I'd tried to live without them and it didn't work out very well. I was lonely and craved a constant connection from them. I only managed to live without them for about two years before I came home. Six months after that I'd met Tanya.

Had I only found and fallen for her because she was there? Because she gave me someone to come home to?

I was sat hunched over with my face resting in my hands, my elbows on my knees. How? Why?

All around me, my family removed pictures from the walls and decorative tables, evidence of our life, Tanya's and mine.

Tanya's family photos were taken down and were put more gently into boxes than they deserved. When I glanced up and saw mum putting a picture of me and Kate, Tanya's Aunty into the box, I stopped her.

Aunty Kate didn't deserve to be taken out of my life. She was a good friend, and often questions in all seriousness why I was with Tanya. I wondered if I should have heeded her warnings because she'd known Tanya since she was a baby. Maybe she knew Tanya never wanted kids?

I'd reach out to her later. I wanted her to her hear from me what happened and why.

"Mum, can you leave that one please?" Mum looked down at the picture and ran her fingers over it gently. Mum loved Aunty Kate too. She was one of the most giving and genuine people we'd ever met. But sometimes, she didn't have the greatest follow-through and had more money than sense.

"Kate is such a lovely woman." The way mum trailed off, didn't hide what she was thinking. How could she be related to Tanya?

It took about two hours of my whole family pouring over every room of the house to get rid of every trace of her. Some of my things were thrown out in the process because there was some stuff I just couldn't live with anymore.

By the end of it, our life had been reduced to five tea chest boxes, most of which were filled with Tanya's shoes and clothes.

I was still waiting for the hurt to kick in. The pain. But it didn't. My heart still ached at the idea of my babies being aborted like they were trash, but for Tanya I felt nothing.

She'd made sure of that. If she'd only cheated on me, maybe we could have reconciled. But I couldn't forgive this. Never.

She'd pretty much, single-handedly destroyed my lifelong dream of having a family and with no remorse.

The thought brought a tear to my eye that I couldn't stop as I sank further into the couch. I was shocked when I heard a key in the door, conveniently just as Rosalie was coming down the stairs. I didn't move from my perch on the couch. I couldn't look at her.

When I heard a male's voice along with Tanya's I couldn't even find it in to me to care. At least she was true to form.

The couple was too caught up in each other as they attempted to move toward, I'm not sure where when Tanya was plowed into box. "What the—,"

"Well look what the cat dragged in Tanya." Rose growled from the bottom of the stairs, she rolled her shoulders and I wondered if I'd need to pull her off Tanya at some point.

"What the hell are you doing in my house?" Tanya screamed at Rose, as she tried to fix her clothing, as she found her feet. Her legs releasing their grip from around her guest's waist.

"It's not your house and I'm making good on a promise; I told you if you ever hurt him I'd come for you."

I remembered hearing Rose give that threat, but I guess a naive part of me thought it would amount to anything. Rose's strongest trait was her loyalty to this family. She'd been a part of this family since she was a kid, and had seen as many triumphs as she had downfalls the same as me. Rose and Jasper were more than just my in-laws, they were blood.

Rose gave a speech at our wedding; she had stood with me as a groomsman, rather than as a bridesmaid. She'd wanted to be in the wedding, but she'd told me before Tanya could even ask, that she couldn't in good faith stand up with Tanya. Alice didn't have the same reservations, and I think it had a lot to do with the fact that she'd wanted to wear the pretty dress more than anything else.

Rose, standing next to her husband, too proud to be dressed like Tanya's bridesmaids, wore a feminine cut of the same suit her husband and brother wore. She'd worn makeup, but very little and had even pulled her hair back from her face.

She'd been telling me since the day I met Tanya that maybe she wasn't the right woman for me, and she'd been right. But I knew Rose; she wouldn't rub that in my face. She was bigger than that. She'd rub it Tanya's face maybe, but not mine.

I wondered briefly if I'd need to tell Dad to prepare bail. Maybe?

"This is my house. You're out of your mind, Rose." Tanya sassed back.

"Don't you fucking dare stand there with your toy boy at your back, in my brother's home and tell me I'm crazy. You cheated on him, you lying bitch with men like that and in his fucking house nonetheless." The man who came in with Tanya slinked his way out the same way he had come in as Rose faced off with Tanya.

Mum and Alice were the first down the stairs, the men following not too long after. "What's the matter, Edward?" Tanya directed at me, as she looked at me with a glare, "You can't deal with your own marriage by yourself?"

I crossed the room and stood directly in front of her leaving a respectable distance between us. When she made to close the gap, I stepped back. "There is no more marriage. You made sure of that. I told you to get your shit out of my house; I packed it for you since you ignored my warning. This will be the last time I will ever see you. From this point on you will speak only to my lawyer."

"We can work this out baby." She moved closer, pleading, but I keep stepping backwards. Leaving as much distance as I could between us.

"I think you're done here, Tanya." My father cut in loudly, stepping between us. He kept a hand on my chest, like he didn't know what I would do. It wasn't me he needed to be worried about. It was Rose. Looking past Dad, I saw that Emmett had her in his arms. It's not that she couldn't swing caged in his arms, she'd just be less inclined if it meant Emmett would be taken out as collateral damage.

"He can't leave me. He said it yesterday, our vows! 'Forever'."

Rose actually laughed at that, so did mum. "You cheated on him Tanya, you defied your vows and my son has enough self-respect to leave this sham of a marriage."

"This house is in my name. I packed your shit, now get the fuck out. I won't tell you again." I said evenly, fishing my phone out of my pocket in case I had to call the police.

"If this is about a baby, we can adopt!" Adopt? She wanted to adopt? She had gotten pregnant a few times now and had just gotten rid of every one of them. Then she wants to adopt? She could have children, there clearly wasn't any issue with her ability to get pregnant and I assume she probably wouldn't have too many issues carrying.

I would love to adopt a baby, but not as my only means of raising a family. I wanted my own children too! My own blood, so I could carry on my family name.

"You never wanted children." I shook my head, overwhelmed by how sad the very thought made me.

It didn't matter if they were mine or the result of a fling. She would never let her body carry children.

"You lied to me about our whole relationship. You would never be able to give me what I wanted more than anything, what I thought you wanted." I'd never felt more defeated than I had at that very moment. So used.

Why? We could never work! Not even from the start. She'd made sure of that. Our whole lives to this moment had been built on a lie. One she'd chosen to sell so easily, and without any remorse.

"Just leave." I turned my back on everyone and headed upstairs into the study. In the corner, was an old wingback chair that Uncle Paora had given to me. He absolutely loved it, but when Aunty Ripeka told him he needed to get rid of it or she would, he asked me if I wanted it. I'd not really made a secret of the fact that I absolutely loved it. It was super soft and worn in all the right places. Alice had given me a blanket to go with it as a house warming gift, and some days I would turn the air con on just so I could snuggle under it and read or work on my laptop.

Right now, I just needed the comfort of it. If Uncle Paora was here, he'd know what to say. He'd be able to give me sage advice that would make it hurt just a little less. A lie. The last half decade of my life had been a lie.

I'd never thought I'd be one of those guys that was divorced, ever. It was this whole foreign concept I always saw on TV but never thought I'd have to deal with. I didn't know anyone who was divorced. My siblings coupled quickly and never looked back. It took mum and dad about twenty years of my life before they got married, but they got there in the end. But at no point did I ever think that the two of them were ever going to split. They just didn't care about a piece of paper. They showed each other and everyone around them how much they loved each other.

I don't know how much time had passed before someone cleared their throat in the doorway catching my attention. Looking up, Rose was leaning up against the open door frame, her arms crossed over her chest, making her—my hoodie, slip down her shoulder.

She saw me eyeing it and shrugged. "First, you turned this place into a freezer." She crossed the room, and sat on the arm of the chair, leaning into me a little as she gave me a hug, "and second, I'm sorry I couldn't keep my word. I wanted to hit her so badly—Dad told me she wasn't worth it."

I kissed her forehead and gave her a hug. I'd been telling people for years I had two sisters, and in moments like these, it always felt like it. "She's the type to press charges."

"Pussy."

"If she ever shows up again, just fucking do it."

Alice found Rose, me and the chair and joined us, leaning across both of our laps as she pulled us into a group hug. "You'll make the best dad one day, E. I know it."

I didn't doubt that, it just hurt a little not knowing how long that 'one day' was off.

"But will that day come?" She looked at me as if I were asking a stupid question. "Don't Rose, don't give me false hope. Don't act like I haven't completely screwed up my whole life by taking her as my wife."

Her hugged turned violent as she dug her nails into my shoulder. "You're still young, E. You'll find a woman who deserves you."

"What do I deserve, Rose, because I really don't know anymore? I feel cheap and used! Did I deserve that?" I dropped my head, looking at the blanket I had covered myself with.

"Don't do that, Edward."

I looked Rose dead in the eye. Tears gathering once more. How many tears would I shed for Tanya? "Five years I've lived a lie. I was used and for what? She wanted to be married to a Doctor? What if she's the only one that's out there for me? You say I'm young, but I'm not. I'm pushing thirty now Rose. I didn't think I'd be thirty and single, renting a house I hate."

"Get rid of the house, first and foremost because this is about the only room I actually like." I looked around the room, and I could see why. There wasn't anything in here that was Tanya. "Find a house that you love, E, and buy it. Set down some roots and lastly, take some time to find yourself again. Because the Edward I grew up with saw bullshit long before he stood in it."

"I don't even know how to be single." Rose leaned her head down, so it was resting against my shoulder.

"Yeah you do, E. You've pretty much been doing it these last few years." Before I could acknowledge that, my phone rang obnoxiously loud from my pocket and caught my attention—Aunty Kate.

"Hey, Aunty?" I greeted confused, she wasn't the type to call out of the blue, and I wondered if Tanya had already called her.

" _Hello my boy, how're you baby?"_ She said cheerily, making me think she definitely hadn't spoken to Tanya, at least not in the last twenty odd hours or so.

"Ah good, I guess?"

She laughed quietly, " _You don't sound so sure of your answer. Is everything okay with you and T?"_

I sat up holding my finger over lips to shush Rose before I placed my phone on speaker. I'd need a woman's opinion on this.

"Funny you ask that. I'm actually filing for divorce. She's been cheating on me, and may or may not have aborted my one or more of my babies."

I heard a gasp through the line followed by rustling, like the phone had been dropped and then picked up. _"Shit, sorry. I—well I don't know what to say. I'm so sorry to hear that, son. I never thought she'd ever do anything so spiteful. Are you okay?"_

"I'm a bit gutted. Okay, maybe a lot—but I'll be okay. I need to sort things out and call a divorce lawyer. I want this settled as quickly as I can. I don't think I can deal with having her tied to me any longer than necessary." I wondered if I should feel guilty talking like this to Aunty Kate, but I didn't. She may have been Tanya's Aunty, but she was my friend long before I'd even known Tanya.

I didn't even know she was Tanya's, Aunty when I'd met Tanya.

 _"Well speaking of lawyers, I wanted to give you something, but I don't know if you'd want it now."_ What did giving me something have to do with a lawyer?

"And what would that be?" I asked intrigued, had she bought another car she didn't like anymore? Maybe it was boat? Except neither of those needed a lawyer involved. A house? A business? A secret drug recipe that would cure cancer?

 _"The Point."_

* * *

 **And there we have it.**

 **How do we feel about Edward?**

 **Who wants to kill Tanya?**

 **Am I the only one who absolutely loves this Rosalie?**

 **I'd love to read your thoughts.**

 **Nic.**


	13. Edward Outtake 2: First Impressions

**Firstly, shout out to my rock star beta who still found the time to go through this despite her crazy RL schedule. Edwardsfirstkiss, you're the real MVP.**

 **Sorry this wasn't up as quickly as I'd hoped, and maybe you all hoped. My RL has been crazy with moving countries, starting a new job and subsequently resigning from the job. But, such is life. Now I need to sort my life out again and start looking for a new job.  
**

 **I hope you enjoy more of Edward's POV.**

* * *

 **EPOV**

Listening to Rose have a go at Em was nothing new. Although hearing that he had decided to take a cab for a joy ride at Alice's insistence was a whole new level of stupid. I was glad I decided to come up to Mechanix when I finished my shift to have a cuppa with Alice, otherwise I'd have missed the show.

She may run The Point, but she often takes breaks when Jasper works so that she can come and see him. His studies are tough and he is definitely the studious type. He pours through his texts with more vigour than I've ever seen him apply to anything. It is as weird as it is remarkable. My laid back brother-in-law is more inclined to just let things happen. He is the unflappable type. It's probably why he and Alice work so well together. He balances out her enthusiasm.

Alice and I were sitting in the break room at the back of the main office, and I couldn't help but laugh to ourselves. "Why the hell did you challenge him?"

Allie shrugged her shoulders in answer.

"Come on Allie, you don't do anything without cause." Jasper chimed in, leaning over so he could look at us from where he was sitting at the main desk. He handled the cash, and did a lot of data entry. His ability to read the chicken scratch, mechanic hand writing was bar to none.

He really did help Rose and Em out a lot and even Alice from time to time over at The Point. If Psychiatry didn't work out for him, than he definitely would have had a future in office administration.

"Okay fine, I just thought we could use some entertainment around here."

I shook my head. Entertainment? Em was always doing something stupid that warranted getting grilled from his wife, or my parents. This was nothing new.

"How'd he piss you off this time? Convincing him to steal a cab is a whole new level of stupidity." The evil little look Alice gave me had me shrinking back into my seat a little. She had the potential to be a creepy little thing. Mama probably had a lot to do with that. She frequented her dreams a little too often I reckon, but I guess Alice really was the only one open to them.

"Don't worry about it, Brother. Just eat your donut." Alice handed me a brown paper bag which had turned slightly translucent from what I had hoped was whipped cream.

I couldn't help my triumphant little shout as I pulled what could only be described as donut heaven out of the bag. The long cake, topped generously with cream and a dollop of strawberry jam.

My family and my work were the only things that brought joy to my life lately, though food often was a close second.

When Aunty Kate offered to give me The Point, I wholeheartedly wanted to refuse. What use would I have with an Inn? I already had a career.

Maybe I was lucky that she knew me as well as she did, because she refused to accept my answer until I'd spoken to my family. I guess it was a good thing too. Alice had been waiting years for the opportunity to step up and do something for herself, and it worked out that I needed an Inn Manager.

The Point was worth a hell of a lot of money, but Aunty Kate didn't think through the amount of work that was required to run it. So she admitted defeat, and was happy to take the monetary loss so long as it went to someone who could give it the care it needed.

I don't know why she thought that person was me, or maybe she'd hoped I'd have Alice step in. I don't know, I guess things happen for a reason, and after only six months The Point was turning a profit. As soon as we were turning a profit, Alice and I agreed that Aunty Kate didn't need to pay for the upkeep of the business. Despite her protests, she stopped funding and allowed us to run the business completely.

Though I use the term 'us' loosely. Alice really did everything, from marketing, event management, general operations, payroll, you name it.

This was exactly what I needed, something that kept me completely distracted from the realities of my life. Or what was left of it. I debated about getting a dog to help fill the house I now lived in, and had been living in for about two years—but then I was never be home and that would be fair to the dog. For my two years of bachelorhood, I had been living only with short term flatmates, all with their own lives and limited interaction with me. I could have been home more, but sometimes it paid to have two specialties.

I hated coming home to nothing but an empty house. I didn't want to admit to my family that I was pretty much always filled with dread when it came to spending time in my own home. I hated it.

I had the quaint family home I'd always wanted full of overstuffed, functional furnishings, bright colours, open rooms... but it wasn't the same.

I was constantly surrounded by perfect couples, my parents, Em & Rose, Alice & Jasper. They had these relationships that were completely solid, and I had an ex-wife who pretty much shat all over our vows and our marital bed, crushing just about every hope and dream I'd ever had of being a father.

Em had tried to push me to use Tinder, but I couldn't do it. I'd already been married to someone who clearly cared more about my position and my looks, than my actual desires in life, and I couldn't put myself through that again. Not now, not ever.

If I could have been a person to have meaningless sex, I would have, but even warm bodies to fill my bed just didn't do it for me.

Yeah, I was probably depressed. I certainly wouldn't doubt that about myself. I probably should have asked Jasper if he could list the signs of clinical depression, but I feared my mother's reaction too much if she found out—which she would.

Alice's ringing phone pulled me from my musings. I watched as she looked down at the screen and frowned. She titled the screen so I could see it 'The Point'.

"Alice, speaking." She greeted quickly before standing and heading towards the front of the store. She was a manic pacer, and often needed the ability to walk the full length of a room.

Though a part of me wanted to know what was going down at The Point, that place was Alice's to run day to day. She'd let me know if I needed to get involved.

I was debating heading out when Jasper started laughing like a twit from the front room. I tried listening with a bit more intent, but I couldn't quite make out what was going on.

Bored, I quickly got up and headed toward the front desk. I was probably overdue for a decent reason to laugh.

"Jasper, what the fu—heck are you laughing about?" I only just managed to catch myself when I saw an unfamiliar woman standing next to Em.

She was gorgeous, though I couldn't remember a time where I may have met her in the past. I was pretty good with faces, and she definitely had the type of face I'd remember. Her big eyes, hidden by dark shadows of sleeplessness, were framed in long eyelashes. Her cheeks slightly rosy, as her lips sat with a full pout.

Who are you, Beautiful?

I'd been surrounded by my fair share of beautiful women, my ex-wife included, but she was something else. She had a kind, open face. Kind of like the girl you grew up with, only more.

Jasper caught my attention as he quickly apologised. It took him a little while to calm down though.

"Be that as it may, try and be a tad more professional, we can't have you scaring off business. 'sides, don't you think Emmett's going to hear enough about this for the rest of his life, let's not exhaust ourselves with it now." I couldn't help but add. Picking on Emmett was something I'd been engaged in since birth.

Realising we were being a little rude; I offered the woman my hand in hariru, as I quickly kissed her cheek. Emmett took that as his cue to introduce us.

"Edward, meet Bub. She's just moved here from America—ugh, she's the fare I was telling Rose about." Only my brother would be game enough to steal a cab. He was never going to live that down.

Wait, America. Was it rude to kiss random strangers on the cheeks? Maybe. Not sure of how to feel, I found myself apologising to the woman for the second time. Though she was quick to wave them off.

Only Emmett.

"Well you know what they say about assumptions." Bub offered, breaking the ice. I couldn't help but laugh with her. Yes, I did know what they said about assumptions, 'It makes an ass out of you and me'.

"I like you, B." The way her face lit up with a smile had me wanting to do everything I could to bring that smile to her face more often. She had a beautiful smile, and it seemed to take the sadness out of her eyes when it spread across her face—even if only temporarily.

I wondered if the sadness in her eyes mirrored my own, and if it did, I couldn't help myself as I considered what may have put it there.

A bad breakup?

Did someone pass away?

Did she lose her job?

They were pretty macabre things to consider, but to wear sadness the way she was; it had to have been something shocking. Sure? I really hoped she wasn't as sad as she looked.

I knew emptiness and the sinking way it could completely overcome you. It hurt, in ways you never really consider. Kind of like grief, only wayonly way, worse. It's always there, whereas grief has this ability to sneakto sneak up on you, overwhelm you like a rough wave before receding.

After quickly introducing himself, Jasper realised something I hadn't. "Hold on, you called her Bub. You don't even know her name!"

"I never told him." Then I heard it, the longer vowels of her American accent. I didn't realise how much of a contrast that would be compared to ours. I wouldn't admit it to anyone, but I found her accent very attractive.

Before I said or did something stupid, I decided to occupy myself with something. It was likely I'd need to catch up with Alice about whatever was keeping her held up, sticking around seemed like a good idea.

I offered to make tea for everyone, though I hoped Bella would be the only one to take me up the offer. I ended up makingup making four cups of tea. It didn't really surprise me. The caffeine would probably help perk her up a bit.

Rose had a built inbuilt-in boiling water tap, so it didn't take long to make our teas. Lady grey wasn't my favourite, but it was all Rose ever had. The staff didn't much care for it, so Em kept a stash of Choysa—his black tea of choice—in his desk drawer, but I didn't dislike it that much to put in the extra work.

Juggling the four cups, I headed back towards the group. I offered Bella—as I'd overheard her finally introduce herself—hers first. She needed the pick me up, before handing Em and Jas theirs.

Alice had come back inside and was waiting with Jas behind the reception desk, leaning into his side. To look at them, they lookedthey looked an odd pair. Jasper was about my height, around six' two", whereas Alice was a tiny five foot. Jasper more than towered over her, but he also treated her like she hung the moon and the stars.

I couldn't help myself as I watched Bella take a tentative sip of her tea. I watched her nose crinkle in confusion, did I make it wrong? "What blend is this?"

"Lady grey, itsit's all Rose drinks so…" I trailed off with a shrug. Maybe I should have taken the effort to get the Choysa, or perhaps she preferred English Breakfast? When her cheeks pinked up, I was confused, but she seemed to get over it quickly.

Her face lit up with a smile, almost like she'd just figured something out. Maybe she decided she liked it? I couldn't help but quirk my eyebrow at her, and she offered me what I could only consider a genuine smile.

When the smile slowly fell, I worried for her. I could see her slowly losing her balance, andbalance and I was moving toward her before I even thought about it. She was barely holding herself up. I grabbed her cup andcup and set it down just as her knees gave out.

"Edward, catch her." Alice shouted as my arms shot out of their own accord. Her slight frame fit just right in my arms as I feel to my knee, holding Bella to my chest. Syncope.

My mind was whirring with reasons as to what may have caused this, but without background the lists of potential contributing factors was miles long. Was she pregnant? Dehydrated? Stressed?

There were just too many potential diagnoses.

Shuffling her weight slightly, I stood up, cradling her in my arms and walking intowalking into Rose's office. She had a bit more of a professional office than Em which included a three seaterthree-seater couch.

She really was tiny. Alice was short, midget short almost, but she was also all muscle which was a bit deceiving. If she hadn't gotten mum's slight frame, she'd probably be built like a Staffy.

Once she was settled on the couch, the rapid fire questions of my family began as they'd followed closely behind us into the office.

"Has she eaten anything?" I found myself asking Emmett, cutting off Alice's question. I don't even know what she'd asked.

"How the fuck should I know?" Emmett said in a panic. He didn't deal well when people were sick. "I was posing as a taxi driver, not UberEATS?"

"She didn't drink much of her tea."

I looked at the cup Alice was staring at. She probably only managed to have had a couple of sips. If that.

I looked from the cup to Bella and noticed her starting to stir. "She's coming to."

"Won't lie, I've never seen anyone faint before." Jasper muttered lowly under his breath.

Emmett nodded his head in agreement. 'I hope to never see it again.'

Bella was becoming more coherent as her eyes started blinking rapidly. "Shhh." She'd practically groaned. Making me think she was as tired as the dark shadows under her eyes suggested.

"Can you open your eyes for me, B?" I needed to see her open her eyes so I could see for myself if she was feeling okay.

"More sleep. 'Night." I chose not to acknowledge how good it felt to have Bella attempt to snuggle further into my embrace.

When Bella's eyes shot open, using her small hands she pushed off my chest. She clearly didn't realise how close to the edge she was and almost went ass over tit. I grabbed her shoulder, miraculously managing to stop her fall, though I did slide off the edge myself. I fell onto my knee in the process; it jarred, more than I'd like to admit.

Bella was certainly well on the road to maiming me. Jesus.

I got up, helping Bella back onto the couch so she was lying down again. "Please, just lay there until my Dad gets here."

She looked so small tucked into the couch, and there was a stubborn set to her shoulders that had me thinking she wanted to argue us on this.

There were so many things I wanted to ask her, but the questions all got muddled and I couldn't find the words. I was trying to be Doctor Cullen but it wasn't working out so well for me. This woman, who'd barely uttered a handful of words to me, was throwing me for a loop.

Jasper clearly didn't have the same verbal issues I was having as he asked her when she'd last eaten.

She'd potentially skipped meals for at least twenty-four hours. Definitely not great for the body, so it definitely could have resulted in faintingin fainting. There was also the added stress of traveling and I can't imagine leaving behind everything you know is easy. I'd spent some time in Australia and that in and of itself was difficult.

My heart went out to Bella. I was of the impression there was a lot about her that was a little fractured, not broken, but definitely fractured. I hoped there was a way we could help her.

When she shot up off the couch and hugged Emmett tightly, I was confused, until I managed to hear what she was saying to him. She thanked him profusely for going on his little joy ride. I wanted to thank him too.

Bella needed help, and it was the Cullen way to lend a hand to those in need. Baby girl was definitely in need.

Rose didn't look too bothered as she joined us in her office. She stood at Emmett's side, waiting to see who the newcomer was. Given that her husband had randomly picked the woman up from the airport.

"Oh, Bub, this is Rose." He opened, gesturing between his wife and Bella, "Rose, Bella." Rose quickly gave Bella a quick squeeze as she kissed her cheek.

Rose had either seen or overhead about the drama, as she gave her own little cursory once over, checking to see how Bella was doing.

"I'm happy to see you're okay, but how's 'bout we go grab some kai—a feed, uh something to eat. I reckon it's the least we can do?" I didn't miss the side eye she gave her husband, but the smile she gave Bella was genuine.

I think Rose was going to like Bella. She seldom warmed up to new people, but something about Bella seemed to intrigue her. If there was one thing I put my faith in, it was Rose's judge of character. She'd never steered me wrong in the past—marrying Tanya against Rose's instincts; look where that had landed me.

Bella was quick to agree to join us, though the reality of the matter was that she didn't really have a choice. When Rose wanted something, she got it, always.

I led the way out of the office back toward the entrance, a bright smile on my face when I heard Emmett call his shout. He certainly wasn't going to hear any of us complaining.

Rose and Em hung back so that they could catch the boys up and get them to close when they were done.

"We're just heading to a mate's place up the road, do you have any allergies?" Jasper asked Bella as we headed up the street. Jasper happily trotted off after Alice when he received confirmation that we weren't going to accidentally kill Bella.

I matched Bella's pace as we followed behind the crazy couple ahead. Kiwi Kai was so good. Just like home made only without the effort. We didn't come here half as much as we wanted to, mainly because none of our waistlines could handle it.

We walked in a comfortable silence, neither of us feeling the need to fill it with idle chatter. Fortunately, the walk was short so it wasn't long until we arrived.

We exchanged greetings quickly, and made sure to take the time to introduce Bella to Pete and Char. We'd been family friends for years, and if Bella was going to be sticking around for a while, it would helpwould help for her to know good people. Pete did take the opportunity to check in on me. It'd been a couple of years since the Tanya debacle, but it was no secret that I'd spent a lot of that time working myself to death. This was probably the first time I'd actually seen Pete since I'd left her.

After the introductions, we joined Alice and Jazz, who'd grabbed the biggest booth at the back and made ourselves comfortable.

Bella quickly poured water for the table, while we waited for Rose and Em to turn up. We pretty much knew what we'd be ordering, but if for whatever reason we changed it up, it would save Char and Pete the hassle, so we wanted to wait for everyone to arrive.

"So I take it kai means food," I slid the last glass over to Alice, "Well what's kiwi kai? Food made from kiwis, because as much as I love kiwis I don't know how many dishes you can make with one fruit?"

Fruit? What? I quickly looked at Alice with a raised eyebrow, and he shrugged.

"Bella, what's a kiwi to you?"

With her hands, Bella gestured the size of a kiwi fruit as she continued to explain that she was referring to the fruit, and not our highly endangered national bird.

Just as Bella started questioning the menu items, an unfamiliar ringtone filled the table. I looked around to see whose it was and was shocked to see Bella shuffling around as she pulled out her phone. Her whole face filled with dread as she looked down at the screen.

I didn't like that expression on her face one bit, and wanted to know who was responsible for putting it there. My concern only increased when she swore lowly under her breath.

I watched her make little fists, she squeezed them tightly and I could hear them crack. I watched her inhale deeply before she slapped a smile on her face, before swiping to answer. "Hey Dad?"

Why was she so worried to accept a call from her dad? With the exception of Rose and me, the rest of our table seemed to understand a bit better as to why she was so reluctant.

All I could do was shrug along with Rose. Bella didn't seem to want to leave the table, so I hoped she wouldn't mind that we could practically hear the whole conversation as it happened in front of us.

I don't know what it was about this woman that had me wanting to jump up and save her.

Did she need to be saved?

Did she save herself?

She moved to the whole other side of the world, a place very much unlike the world she knew.

In the tiny amount of time I'd known this girl, she'd proven she had more balls than me, that's for damn sure. I'd buried myself in my work when things got bad, Bella simply moved on.

The way she described her split with her ex to her father confused me. At first it sounded like she'd seen the writing on the wall and had left… then she dropped her bomb. He'd cheated on her.

She wasn't on the phone with her father long after that bomb. She wrapped up the call quickly before sliding her phone across the table away from her.

She collapsed, hiding her face in the nest she'd made of her arms and just sat there, slumped over the table.

I met the eyes of everyone at the table. Not even the girls knew what to do, as they subtly shook their heads. They'd both lucked out with their first relationships and had never really known heartache. I certainly wasn't any good at it, but the way they kept eying me and gesturing towards Bella, had me thinking I'd drawn the short straw.

Trust the guy with a divorce under his belt, and warning signs of depression.

I cleared my throat, trying to get her attention; though it looked like it took a lot of effort, as her shoulders lifted obviously, as she took a deep breath.

"All good?" I hoped the look in my eyes carried the sincerity I was trying to convey. I didn't want to pry, but the human part of me wanted to make sure she was okay.

Jasper kicked me under the table, managing to hit my shin right on the bone. "Did you kick his ass, Bella?"

What the fuck, Jasper, was I target practice?

When Bella shook her head in the negative, I was shocked.

"Why the fuck not?" My sentiments exactly Em. I wanted to beat this guy up and I didn't even know him. "That's just, no—he's skux, B. Seriously, that's such a dick move. You seem really cool, Bub, he must be a real bastard."

If this guy ever crossed paths with me, or my brothers he'd be fucking dead. The venom lacing Em's voice alluded to that. He rarely ever raised his voice in anger, but you definitely knew when he was angry.

I took the bait, and realised Bella wanted this conversation to end quickly. So when Pete came out and spread all of her food across the table, I took that as the go ahead to move on.

I explained all of the dishes in front of us to Bella. Her face was alight with curiosity. It was the genuine, almost childish excitement I often saw in my patients when we brought in entertainers.

We took the time to take Bella through kiwi kai. She was absolutely adorable as she picked through the plate of food I'd dished up for her. There was no denying that our food didn't always look great, but it definitely made up for it in taste.

Emmett slurping the juices from his plate distracted me from my Bella gazing and I found myself glaring at him. "Why can't you dip breaddip bread in the juice like a normal person?"

He'd been a dick about that his whole life. While the rest of spent our time using our bread to soak up the juices, he slurped from his plate, obnoxiously loud too. Kind of like you hear when people do wine tasting.

I watched Bella, probably a bit too intently as she picked through her meal. She was reluctant at first, especially when it came to things like Kina and paua and cream. They definitely didn't look that flash.

It was hard not to appreciate the little expressions she made as she tried tiny little bites. Her face was incredibly animated, her eyes showing clear as day how she felt about any one mouthful of food.

She didn't like kina, her face screwed up pretty much as soon as it touched her palette. I loved it and quickly slid them off her plate onto mine. I knew it was an acquired taste, and I'd grown up with it.

She seemed to thoroughly enjoy puha, which didn't surprise me. It was my favourite green, and Pete knew how to cook it. He cooked it in the same water he cooked the brisket which gave it the most amazing flavour, and with just the right amount of salt too.

In hindsight, I probably gave Bella way too much of my attention. I could tell you everything she ate that she enjoyed, tolerated and loved. It was obvious by the look on her face that she'd eaten her fill, but didn't want to stop. It was a feeling that I knew well.

"How was it?" I slid my plate away, mainly so I'd stop eating myself.

"It was good. I'm not a seafood fan, but I liked it. Except kina." Her face screwed up when she mentioned kina, and I couldn't help but laugh at the expression. She was so adorable.

My phone was vibrating against my leg. I pulled it out shocked to see Alice's name. I shot her a look, but she just nodded her head towards my phone.

Jasper, Em and Rose were talking to Bella about her work, and as much as I wanted to know what Bella did for work. I had a piss ant sister to deal with first.

I want her to have the flat.

I'd actually forgotten all about the flat we'd had renovated for Alice at The Point. We'd done it so she could move out of our parents' home. Aunty Kate had paid for it actually, when she'd heard Tanya and I had split, thinking I'd want to move into it.

I thought about it, but I couldn't do it. I wanted a home, not a flat. Aunty Kate wasn't offended in the least when I'd told her Alice was going to move in. She and Alice had always gotten along amazingly well. She was more upset with herself because she hadn't thought to offer it to her first.

Sounds good. You like her, don't you?

Alice loved meeting new people, but she was slow to make friends. She'd been the victim of bullying in intermediate school and it made it hard for her to trust people. She made friends easily enough, but she rarely ever opened up or let people get close to her. Bella was going to be one of her few exceptions.

Letting Bella have the flat proved that. Alice had put a lot of work into it; she'd decorated it to her tastes and it was very much her. Her willingness to give it to B, made me think there was more to their potential friendship than she was letting on.

We dropped in on each other all the time. Well, mostly at The Point or Mechanix, and at Dad's practice too. Mum was freelance, so she mostly worked from home, unless she had to see a client.

Shared lunches like this one weren't rare.

If Bella rented the flat, she'd still be in our lives, and I really liked the idea of that. I wanted to see Bella smile genuinely, and to remove the sadness from her eyes. When she smiled, she looked like a whole other person; a much younger, and lighter person. I wanted to see that smile on her face all the time, and I certainly wouldn't have minded being the one to put it there.

Rent?

I had no idea how to answer that. Should we charge her rent? It's not like the flat was initially renovated to make money. I would have happily let her stay there for as long as she needed, but she didn't strike me as the type who would be inclined to take help—least of all from apparent strangers.

Yeah? We'll talk to her about it. Work it out from what she used to pay?

Instead of replying, I caught Alice's eye and nodded my head quickly before jumping into the conversation.

They'd had a pretty engaged conversation about Bella's career as a teacher, and she was looking at me to find out more about what I did.

"Well, I'm a doctor at Greenlane hospital—that's actually the hospital that Alice was born at." I began, looking at Alice. I didn't remember how tiny she was when she was born myself, but I'd seen photos and she always looked like a little doll. "I started out in General Surgery, but I also specialised in Obstetrics too. So I mostly deliver babies now."

Jasper was absolutely fascinated by the States, and kept asking Bella about what it was like to live there. Not surprisingly, she didn't have a lot to say. It was home for her, and she also hadn't spent enough time in any country to be able to answer his questions.

When we'd sufficiently run out of questions for the while, and had eaten our fill we all started packing up the left overs and cleaning off the table. We never left a mess for Pete and Char to clean up. They were like family, and treated us as such when we ate here. With one exception—we always paid.

We ended up sending all the leftovers home with Em and Rose, but we helped pack them up tightly so they wouldn't spill. We'd all lost count of the number of times Em needed to pay for his car to be valet cleaned after he'd spilled something across the seats.

We dawdled lazily back to the shop once we'd finished our food. Our bellies were full and we were in no hurry to get home.

Before I could head to my car, Alice quickly grabbed my attention as Jasper was saying something to Bella. "See you at The Point; I've put Bella's bags in your boot."

I nodded my head, pulling away quickly. Alice had clearly packed my boot as the bags moved around on the drive. She was terrible at packing things. It wouldn't surprise me if she had stood the bags straight up and they had fallen over as soon as I accelerated.

I was the first out, so I beat them back with a decent amount of time. I pulled up around back, maybe driving a little too fast as I felt the back end slip out a little on the gravel path. I rolled my eyes at myself as I pulled into my spot.

I wasn't surprised to see Bella's bags tossed haphazardly around in the boot of my car. I loved my car. I bought it after I split with Tanya and had yet to regret the purchase. It was smaller than Dad's Mercedes, but still an SUV. It packed a shit tonne of power too.

I grabbed Bella's bags, and with some manoeuvring, I managed to get them all to the foot of the staircase in one piece. I thought better of leaving them out in the open and hid them in the 'staff only' entrance we often used for functions. I was tempted to take them straight up to the flat. However, I still wanted B to have a choice in case she wasn't keen on staying there.

I heard the rumble of Alice's car as she pulled up to the front door. Knowing Alice, she clearly wanted Bella to get the full effect of The Point, rather than the staff entrance.

When Alice opened the door and let B walk in, I couldn't stop myself from watching Bella's face from my hidey hole, as she took it all in. A lot of work had gone into this place. Most of the project had been managed by Alice, but I had put my foot down at times too.

If The Point was in my name, I wanted it to be somewhere I would want to come and relax. Alice initially wanted to gut the place and get rid of the more country style features and replace them with hard lines and steel, but I put my foot down.

Instead, we'd come to a compromise. We'd stripped back the floors so what remained was a sandy washed hard wood. Mum helped mediate when it came to furnishings, because Alice's tastes were still a tad too sterile and ultra-modern. I understand the want for clean lines, but we argued on finishes and fabrics all the time.

I won in the end, but there were some hard fought battles and a lot of tears.

What we ended up with was over stuffed sectionals and arm chairs, in light beige with legs finished to match the flooring. Cream, light blue and soft olive green cushions added a pop of colour and all of the windows were dressed with white netting that fell to the floor. We had off white drapes too, but unless requested, we didn't really close them.

Alice and I had arguments about art work too. She wanted over processed pictures of Point Chev beach and people kite surfing. I wanted simple stock photos of paunamu carvings and different wood carvings. Mum ended up turning up with shadow boxed carvings, paunamu taonga and bone taonga. They looked amazing, which Mum reminded us of… often.

I'd let her have her win, especially if it meant Alice lost too.

When I decided I had played the part of creeper long enough, I grabbed Bella's bags again and joined the two of them. "Which floor?" I asked pointedly, refusing to hand Bella's bags to her as she made to take them from me.

I may not work here technically, but I wasn't going to let a guest carry their own bags. What kind of customer service would that be?

I quickly shuffled up to the third floor. I'd let Alice handle the tour while I put B's bags away. Bella didn't seem to mind that we'd 'chosen' her room for her. So I hoped she'd continue to be this amicable.

I quickly opened up the room to get air flooring through. We didn't come in here much, so it smelt a little stale. I found a dish rag under the kitchen sink and found myself running around the whole place trying to get rid of every speck of visible dust.

I checked the toilet paper and found there wasn't any so I quickly ran to the to the storage room and grabbed a twelve pack and neatly stacked them under her bathroom sink. I'd also grabbed some hand towels, tea towels and bath towels while I was in there, and did my best to put them away like they'd always been there.

It took me about ten minutes in total, but by the time I'd made it back down, Alice was bringing Bella in from the kitchen.

I shoot a look at Alice quickly, before smiling and giving Bella my full attention. "I've put your bags in your room."

Confusion washed over her face as she looked between Alice and me. "I thought you said I could pick my room?"

Panicked, I looked to Alice for the answer. Maybe she hadn't heard me before?

"I changed my mind and picked a room for you. This way you'll have privacy; we have guests coming in early tomorrow and I'm pretty sure you're going to conk out as soon as your head hits the pillow, I figured this would be better." Nice save, Alice.

I often worried about her silver tongue sometimes. Then I found myself jealous of Alice as Bella wrapped her in a hug and thanked her. Then again, I didn't really deserve the hug. It was Alice's idea.

Stepping back, I let Alice and Bella pass as I followed them upstairs. Something told me that Bella was going to be reluctant to accept our help, but I was determined that she was going to get it.

Bella had no one here. No family, nothing, and that unsettled me more than anything else. Even when I had gone to Aussie for a couple of years I had Aunties and Uncles, cousins, everything.

If she was willing to deal with my family's crazy, then she was more than welcome to join the fray. Team Cullen!

I steeled myself against the potential backlash we may have from Bella, as I took a deep breath. B, didn't know us, she could refuse our offer and that very thought bothered me deeply.

Bella was surveying the flat, her eyes dancing around everything. There was a lot of space, more than you'd expect from the outside. There was a separate bedroom and a full sized bathroom; a sitting area, dining area and a reasonable sized kitchenette with a full fridge and dishwasher. Alice had hoped she'd finally learn how to cook, so a gas stove top, and oven had been put in too.

I doubted she'd ever really learn how to cook, but I loved the fact that she thought having new appliances would have made a difference. It was a rather entertaining idea.

One thing that did surprise me was how much Bella's acceptance of the flat weighed on me.

"Guys, I thought you said a room." She said, her voice carrying…shock? "This is a whole apartment, and why does it say 'no access' on the door?"

Alice looked at me from behind Bella, her eyes narrowed as she gestured to the couch with her head. I guess I was leading this conversation. "Sit down, Bella. We'd like to propose something to you."

I sat down on the plush L-shaped couch. Alice quickly joined me, and left a reasonable amount of space for Bella to join us. I wasn't surprised when she sat as far from as us she could. Her whole body turned toward us as she gave us her full attention.

With as little preamble as I could manage I walked Bella through our offer. This place was hers, and everything was included. She needed to pay a super cheap bond and her rent was going to be about the same as she had been paying in Seattle.

We didn't need the money, and we weren't really going to do anything with it other than save it. She definitely was not going to accept living here rent free.

After a relatively painless conversation—for Bella, she'd accepted and the flat was finally going to be lived in.

Alice and I quickly kissed Bella on the cheek so we could leave her to settle in. I'd stop by tomorrow to see if she needed anything, but for now she needed to sleep. The fatigue in her face was undeniable as the day had progressed.

I didn't hang around much longer. I simply signed a few things for Alice that needed my signature, and headed home.

I'd had a pretty long day, and just wanted my own bed and some sleep. Once home, I took stock of my empty house, and found myself sighing. I really did miss coming home to someone.

I should have stayed at Mum and Dad's.

My phone blaring at me woke me up. It was rare that I had the ringer turned on, so hearing the obnoxious—and highly generic—Apple ring tone scared the shit out of me. In the process of reaching for my phone, I knocked it off the bedside table and had to scramble to answer it before it rang out.

"Cullen?"

Being stuck on call from time to time, made rousing easy, but I still sounded breathless.

"Edward, it's Bella, she won't wake up." I sat up straighter, running my fingers through my hair and pulling. Yup, I was definitely awake, and now I was worried too.

I'd swung by yesterday when I ran out to get some food. I knocked but she hadn't answered so I had assumed she was sleeping.

I was very tempted to unlock the door and check on her, but I let her be. Just because she had moved into a flat once meant for my sister, didn't mean she had to lose her privacy.

Had she been asleep the whole time since Alice and I left her the day she arrived?

I'd worry about Alice completely breaching Bella's privacy later. I had potentially more pressing things to worry about.

"I'll be there in twenty. Text Dad, and see when he can get away." Alice agreed quickly. I grabbed the first pair of jeans and clean shirt I found, dressing quickly before shoving my feet—sock free—into a pair of Chucks I'd left at the front door.

I probably broke every road rule in existence as I drove to The Point, with one exception. I for whatever reason still remember to indicate left as I exited the roundabout. I didn't want to be that guy.

I sped down the long driveway and pulled my car around to the staff parking. I waved at the staff preparing meals for the diners who'd stopped by for lunch, and practically ran up the stairs on my way to Bella's room.

So many 'what ifs' went through my head. What if she was really sick? What if she wasn't just fatigued? What if—I knew I needed to stop.

I had to be clinical. I would assess Bella's condition when I got to her. Sometimes the body just needed sleep to recover.

Mentally and physically Bella was probably incredibly under the pump.

When I made it up the stairs, my foot clipped the top lip of the stair and I ended up ramming right into Dad. He'd beaten me here.

"Jesus, Edward." He laughed, helping right me. "I'd rather not be here treating two of you if I can avoid it—you always make the worst patient."

"Shut up." I shrugged off his arm and hastily unlocked the door, practically shoving it open in my mission to get to Bella.

When I rounded the bedroom Bella was sitting up, tiredly rubbing eyes and looking at my sister like she was insane. I couldn't help but take my first easy breath since Alice called me as I saw Bella sitting up and looking perfectly fine. Tired, but fine.

Bella looked from me to Alice and then to Dad. "Not that I don't love the company, but why are you here?"

I couldn't stop the smile that covered my face. "Good to see you awake, Bella." I watched as Bella's eyes darted around me at Dad, "Shit, sorry B, this is Carlisle. Dad, Bella."

Bella gave Dad the most adorable wave I'd ever seen from a grown woman in my whole life. It made me want to get to know her better. What made her tick? I hoped she'd let us stay in her life.

For two reasons, the first and most obvious was that she came across as being so strong. Who moves countries like she did? I couldn't do that. I had barely lasted two years in Australia and I had been surrounded by extended family. Timed right it's only a few hundred dollars travel between Aussie and here. I'd hazard to say it's a shit tonne more expensive if Bella wanted to fly home.

Did she even have those means? It couldn't have been cheap for her to just up and move here.

I digress, the second reason I wanted her to stick around, was because there was just something about her that fit. She was beautiful, witty and had this childlike curiosity that I found absolutely adorable. She wanted to know everything there was to know about New Zealand and the Maori culture.

"Nice to meet you, Bella." Oh right, Dad. I didn't miss his clinical appraisal of Bella. His eyes scanned Bella from head to toe, her colouring, her breathing…anything he could use at a distance to assess her.

"Okay, can someone please tell me what's going on?" Bella's eyes bounced from me to Dad, and then to Alice, going around in a loop.

We all seemed to know exactly who was going to provide the answer Bella wanted, so we looked at Alice.

"Bella, you slept all of yesterday away. It scared the bejesus out of me, when I checked on you this morning. You were so fast asleep I couldn't wake you. I shook you, called your name. Nothing woke you up—so I called Edward, and he was concerned so he called Dad and here we are. How do you feel? Are you hungry? I'll get you something to eat." Before Alice could dash off and disappear, Bella grabbed her arm, stopping her.

"I'm fine. I was tired; I didn't get much sleep on the plane. My body just wanted to rest." Bella said soothingly to Alice, her voice gentle and kind. Considering she could have gone off her nut, cried stalker or anything to that effect, I was relieved that she wasn't put out.

I only wished Alice was more inclined to taking Bella at her word, but she looked to Dad and me. As far as I could tell she was fine. She wasn't displaying any obvious signs of illness, and she'd looked incredibly fatigued when I'd seen her the other day.

"Alice, why don't you bring up some refreshments, and some fruit, toast too if they have it. I'm sure you'll feel better after Bella's had something to eat." Carlisle said from over my shoulder. Alice practically took off like a bat out of hell as she sprinted across the room.

Once Alice had left, Dad took her seat at Bella's bedside. I watched on uselessly as he assessed her more thoroughly. Dad's experience with medicine favoured general practice. That's why he'd gone into private practice. He absolutely loved that he could see his patients throughout their whole lives.

A part of me was jealous of how quickly Dad had stepped up and wanted to help Bella. I could barely move to her bedside and Doctor Cullen had turned up in Dad the second he crossed that threshold.

Dad quickly checked her pulse and he temperature with clinical precision, questioning her all the while as I just stood there.

She was so beautiful, and also so different from the woman I'd once married. I doubted Bella would ever have had an abortion. She probably would have even given birth to her asshole ex boyfriend's baby too, simply because it was a piece of her.

Carlisle chuckling brought me back to the present.

"How about you let me worry about whether or not you're covered. It is my practice after all, and as for your IRD number, you'll have to get the forms and fill them out. You should be able to check online."

Fire filled Bella's eyes as she regarded my father. "Why on earth would my not having insurance be your issue?"

Dad caught my eye quickly before giving Bella his full attention. Had he noticed that I'd drifted off? "Well it's my practice, so I'm fairly certain you'll be fine."

"Thank you, Carlisle. Ugh, Dr. Carlisle? I really don't think it's necessary though. I mean I feel fine now. I probably just slept it off." Dad may not have wanted to push Bella, but I was very tempted.

I wanted her to get a full workup just to make sure there was absolutely nothing wrong. Yeah, she may have appeared fine, but I still wanted to be certain. The only way I could do that would be to have tests. Lots and lots of tests.

But she'd baulked at the idea of needles. Would she hate me if I pushed the issue of tests?

"I can't force you to do anything you don't want to, Bella. Though I wish you'd reconsider for the sake of everyone involved. Alice has grown quite fond of you, which means she won't be inclined to let up until she knows beyond a shadow of a doubt that you're okay."

Why did Dad always have to be the good guy?

Then it worked! Bella crossed her arms over her chest, bowing her head. Dad was just that good. With that win, Dad left. I figured he'd give Bella a card, but he didn't. He gave a quick nod as left. "Excellent. I'll let you get ready for the day—Edward placate your sister until you bring Bella in."

I gave Dad a cheeky salute as he ducked out.

Dad knew damn well he'd just given me the hardest job in the history of life itself. Placate Alice? Only one man in this world had that ability and he was marrying her.

Once Dad had left, I remembered something Bella had said. Dr. Carlisle. Through our interactions, I guess our surname had never come up.

"Cullen."

She gave me her full attention once more. I hadn't noticed it before, but her cheeks were slightly pinked. Was she embarrassed?

"Excuse me?"

"Our last name, it's Cullen. That's what Dad goes by when you refer to him as doctor though I'm pretty sure you can just call him Carlisle." I offered with a shrug. I also went by Doctor Cullen.

I couldn't help but smile as I watched Bella mouth our names. Was she trying out our surname?

I was confused when her eyebrows scrunched up. "Is Emmett a family name?"

"What makes you ask that?" What was going on in her little mind?

"It's not exactly a common name, and I've never met an Emmett before. I thought maybe you could shed some light."

The only way I could explain that was to give Bella a brief history lesson of the Cullen clan and sat down giving me her full attention.

Yes, Emmett was a family name. But that wasn't the most interesting part of the story. Emmett was just called 'son' until he was about four weeks old, and my Papa—Dad's, dad, got fed up with him not having a name.

Mum had visited Papa as she'd done every day and Papa refused to let her inside until she accepted the name he'd chosen—William Emmett Cullen— or give him a better one. I'm told it was one of those 'nobody puts baby in a corner' moments.

There were enough William's and Wiremu's in our family on both sides,that Mum and Dad didn't want another one. She'd blurted out Emmett Carlisle Cullen, and from then onward, that become his name.

Before I'd even realised it, I found myself talking about my grandfather and his little quirks. The story or Emmett's name morphed into a retelling of everything I loved about my Papa. I missed him, more than I think I ever let on. He understood me on a level that Mum and Dad always didn't. He's the one who let me just be in my bubble and enjoy being a kid, or teenager.

He spoiled us, but in his own way. Alice loved Cocoa Pops and Papa made sure she'd never need to ask for them because they were always there. Em loved Memphis Meltdowns, so they were always on hand. Jasper and Rose loved anything frozen, so Papa used to always keep everything from Jelly Tips to Eskimo Pies in his chest freezer in the garage.

He even kept an old standup piano in the basement, even though none of us could play simply because he loved the joy on our faces every time we pretended we could. It really was no secret that we didn't have a musical bone in our bodies, but we still liked to tinker.

"Your grandfather reminds me of Charlie, my dad. He's the same. People think he's a hardened cop, but underneath it all he's my dad. You know I fainted at the sight of blood in a ab assignment in high school and Charlie drove from the station with his sirens on because he was so freaked out. I'd completely blacked out, but he actually carried me from class and strapped me into the cruiser. Doctor Gerandy was shocked when Charlie carried me into the hospital. By that point I was fighting him to walk because I felt fine."

I couldn't help but cherish the way she talked about her dad. He struck me as a very protective person in Bella's life, someone who always put her first. Like Dad and Alice, they probably had their issues, but if there was one thing I cherished above all else, it was the love a dad had for his daughter.

I didn't realise I was laughing at Bella until she stopped telling her story, and glared at me. I held my hands up in surrender, and she quickly continued. "Anyway after a blood test, which almost made me faint again and a quick checkup, Doctor Gerandy told Charlie I was fine. The good ole' Chief was still freaking out though and trying to comfort me, and patting my shoulder telling me 'I'd be okay'. It was probably the most endearing moment I'd have ever had with my father."

Something struck me as odd as Bella told her story. She clearly loved her father, but she constantly called him by his name.

She put her hand on my knee, her tiny little hand, "Just ask me, Edward."

"Um, is that an American thing?"

She looked confused, and I worried I offended her. I wasn't used to having to watch what I said, or how I said things. The women I dealt with on the regular were my family, or the women at work. They were used to me now, so I never needed to sensor myself.

"Is what an American thing?"

Perhaps I should have asked that question more clearly? "Calling your parents by their first name. I mean I'd get a hiding from either of my parents if they heard me even refer to them by their name. Jesus, don't get me started on what Koro and Māmā would have done."

When she explained herself, I guess it made a little more sense. She loved her dad, and she wasn't being rude when she called him by his name. It was more or less a learned habit, and her Dad probably loved spending every moment of the time she had with Bella, doing something she loved. Rather than berating her for calling him by his name.

Bella and I had been comfortably chatting for a few minutes, when she raised a very important question. "Hey, where did Alice go?"

Good point! I checked my phone quickly, hoping I'd see missed calls or texts—nothing. That worried me more than anything

"I thought she was getting toast and fruit. How long does that take?" I pondered Bella's question.

For most people, that would take a few minutes, ten minutes tops. That would mean potentially cold toast, but minor details. When I'd come in, the kitchen staff had been on hand too, so surely they'd have been able to help Alice. Right?

I got up in a panic. This was Alice! She could have been up to anything. "It should only have taken maybe ten minutes tops. She's up to something. Let's go."

I waited for Bella to be up on her feet before we ran down the stairs, I found myself taking them two at a time. What the hell was Dad thinking telling Alice to get the food? She burns water! He asked her to cook toast.

Oh fuck!

My heart bottomed out when I found the dining room empty. Lunch service was either short or we'd been upstairs longer than I'd thought.

When I found Alice, I was having trouble trying to figure out what to address first. The empty coffee pot burning on the heating element? My sister crying in the corner hugging her hand to her chest? The toast still cooking as I could clearly see smoke billowing over the top of the toaster.

"Fuck!" I turned off the percolator first; I really didn't want to have to replace it. The toast went out the window and then I was helping Alice stand and ushering her onto a stool. She had to jump a little to sit on it properly, and once she was settled I noticed that the tea towel she'd wrapped around it was stained in red.

"Bella, how squeamish are you around blood?" I found myself asking. She'd seemed reluctant about needles earlier; it wasn't a massive leap to assume she wasn't a fan of blood.

She looked at me like I was stupid, and I assumed that to mean that maybe I was on to something.

"I faint on sight, and get sick to my stomach around the s—" Oh fuck. Bella's face screwed up quickly, before she ran to the sink. The poor thing was completely leaned over, as I watched tremors run through her as her body heaved.

Poor baby. Her tiny little body just kept heaving, probably because she hadn't had a chance to eat yet. She didn't have anything to bring up.

Alice didn't react too well to people throwing up so she clapped her still good hand around her mouth.

"Damn it Alice, I really don't want to have to deal with the two of you. Go to your office, your finger is fine. You don't even need stitches." She pushed me away and practically ran to the office, as I tried to help Bella.

I grabbed a bottle of water for Bella, and quickly opened it for her, rather intentionally too. I wanted her to see the seal break as I twisted off the top. I'd seen a few too many women in my time that'd been given drinks by strangers, and if I was going to give a woman a drink I wanted them to feel safe consuming it.

Bella didn't seem to care as she took the bottle, sipping it slowly. She'd probably been through it before; especially if her blood typing story was anything to go by.

I'd just managed to settle Bella down, as she was finally taking normal breaths, and her hands were no longer shaking when a breathless and frazzled Jasper burst into the kitchen. The door was thrown open with so much force; it hit the wall with an audible crack.

He was normally so calm, but he always lost his shit where Alice was involved. I stepped away from Bella, giving Jasper my full attention. Unlike his girlfriend, when Jasper got riled up, there was nothing you could say or do that could calm him down. He needed to see Alice, and that was the only think that would help.

"Bro, calm the fuck down, she's fine. Her finger isn't cut off, but it is cut. It doesn't need stitches; she's just be'n a Hollywood. She went to wash it, and grab a plaster. She'll be in her office trying not to chunder."

He turned on his heel leaving as quickly as he came. All Alice needed was a plaster. Between the two of them they should be able to achieve that much.

It was a wonder that Bella didn't want to be rid of our brand of crazy. Sometimes I wanted to get away t and I was born into it.

When Jasper got back, I decided that I didn't really want to stick around the two of them post coitus. One because she was my sister, and I didn't really want to think about that. The other reason was because they were always weirdly clingy—which just gave everything away.

A supermarket run sounded like a good idea. Even just so that I could get away from them. "You know what, seeing as surgery was a success; you're fit to clean up your mess. B, you wanna come for a ride? I wanna hit up Countdown and I figure you might want some things too."

Bella didn't hesitate, though she did ask for a few minutes to get ready. While she shot upstairs, I headed into my office in the back. It was a pretty nice space, that I probably should have given to Alice, but I did still did work from here.

I went through some paperwork that needed processing. A lot of it confused me, and l could see the numbers looked great. Too good. It actually confused me with how much I didn't expect it.

I knew Alice was doing amazing things here, it was hard to miss. This little Inn that had pretty much been given to me had undoubtedly saved me. It was about the only thing positive that I had in my life, at the time that was good.

Now it was not only good, it was great. Amazing!

Maybe it was time I relinquished The Point to Alice?

There was one thing I wanted to find; Alice's time sheets. Where would I find them? I shuffled through all of the papers that I had, accidentally knocking them to the floor. Instead of picking them up, I folded myself down to my knees, enjoying the soft rug as I scanned through the documents. Time sheets. Time sheets…

That's how Bella found me; bumbling my way through different documents. She was dressed comfortably in a long singlet dress and jandals. I liked her dress, though all it did was to highlight how tiny she actually was.

Mum and Alice weren't massive, but unlike Bella, they were mainly muscle. They'd been into fitness and sports my whole life, and it showed. Bella's was a mere slip of a person comparatively.

Her brow furrowed. "You okay?"

I must have looked worse off than I thought. I rose to my feet, casually rubbing my neck. I was about to tell her that I was looking for Alice's time sheets, but I thought better of it.

"I think I should leave this to Alice. She's a lot better at it than I am." Bella looked at me confused, and I realised maybe that wasn't the best thing to have said.

She looked at the papers on the floor. "Isn't this Alice's job? To manage the place and deal with that."

I shuffled everything and quickly put them away. I'd look for her time sheet later. Before I could leave my office, Bella quickly asked to use my charger. She quickly plugged her phone in and then we were off.

"You ready to go?" I asked kindly, when she nodded, I let her leave before me so I could lock up behind us.

Time to head to Point Chev Countdown! It was small, but it had everything I'd need. I wanted to give Bella a taste of New Zealand.

Bella darted around the store picking up some essentials, like bread and milk, while I went straight to the confectionary. I needed everything Pascals, Bluebird and Maggi, well I only really needed one thing, Maggi.

Just as I was about to head to the counters, I turned around and grabbed some chocolate. I didn't think they sold Whitakers outside of New Zealand, but they might. I figured Ln'P was a good choice too.

Ana was the cashier. I'd just helped deliver her first grandchild on my last shift, and we'd had a good chat. She was actually friends with my God Father, Uncle Paora, so when she wasn't coaching her daughter I was catching her up on how Uncle and Aunty were doing.

Ana scanned everything quickly, which I was happy about because Bella was kidding herself if she thought she was paying. She was very huffy with me once I'd paid, and was practically dragging her feet as she followed me back to my car.

"Why didn't you let me pay?" She'd asked as I finally settled everything into the backseat. I hadn't actually expected her to ask me so pointedly. Well, wasn't that normal? I mean sure, I expected her to try to pay, but she seemed genuinely upset with me.

"B, its all good. I paid, because I just dumped a hundy worth of junk food on you. Seemed fair," I offered, though it didn't seem to placate her much. "You do realize I plan on helping you eat all this right? Besides, you don't know how to make the dip."

I pulled Bella into me lightly so I could close the boot. She felt much smaller than I had originally thought as I tucked her under my chin, making sure she was clear of the boot. After a gentle squeeze, I stepped back.

She seemed slightly less put out, so I headed toward the driver's side and was confused when Bella followed me? I would have offered to open her door for her, but I thought better of it. She didn't strike me as a woman who'd react too well to that, and it was only a habit I'd picked up because Tanya hated doing anything for herself.

When a blush spread over her features, it hit me. She was used to riding on this side of the car. Cars were left hand drive in America, so jumping in on the right hand side would have been the passenger side.

Bella, in a move I was beginning to notice was simply her, blushed bright red before rounding the car and jumping in beside me.

I started driving back to The Point, but I couldn't help but kept glancing over at Bella. She was pretty much refusing to look at me as she pretty adamantly stared at her window.

The houses really weren't that exciting to look at.

She must have felt my eyes on her as she all but turned with a glare on her face. "What?"

I was beginning to enjoy how fiery she could get. "I've never actually seen someone blush quite like you do. Your entire face flushed red and even down your neck."

I couldn't help but chuckle at her as she turned back away from me. She really was the first woman I'd ever seen blush. Mum, Alice and Rose certainly didn't. It just wasn't a bodily reaction they had. The only time they'd ever gone red was when they'd been sunburnt, and even then, I don't think it had anything on Bella's.

"Awesome, make fun of Bella." I bit my lip at that. I didn't want her to feel like I was picking on her. That wasn't my intention.

How do I smooth this over? "Simmer down, Flash. It's not a bad thing. It's just different. There isn't anything wrong with different, I mean you have met my siblings. I'll show you some of the things they put up on Facebook."

She no longer looked pissed, but she did look very confused. "Stop over thinking things, Bub."

I couldn't help but laugh at the look on her face. She really did have adorable faces. Did she know how expressive her face was? Surely someone had told her at some point in her life.

I quickly skimmed through my phone, Inventing Myself had pretty much been playing on a loop in my head since the first time that I'd heard it. I may have actually been obsessed with it.

If Bella's silence was anything to go by, she was too.

I gave Bella the brief history of Stan Walker, and before I knew it, we were back at The Point. She was still pondering the fact that Beyoncé had actually toured New Zealand when we arrived. So I left her to her musings and quickly started pulling the bags from the boot.

When I heard her door close as she came 'round the car I was shocked to see her square her shoulders and swing. Her attempt at an apology followed soon after, but I couldn't help but smile at her.

Yeah, she'd be just fine around here.

I didn't dawdle as I ran up the stairs, juggling the bags and calling for Bella to pick up the pace. She had locked the door behind her, so I needed her to unlock it. As soon as the door was open, I all but upturned the bags on the counter so I could empty them fast. The dip had to be made first!

I rushed through as I made the dip, mostly because I wanted it and secondly because it needed to chill. Bella's eyes lit up as I offered a quick taste. Nothing tasted quite as good as onion soup and reduced cream.

One day I'd share the recipe with Bella for real.

I quickly checked my phone, and was shocked that it was full of messages from the family, all of which said one thing… 'We're on our way'.

I didn't have a chance to tell Bella before they were knocking on her door. She walked over, her step slightly delayed; I guess in confusion which must have tripled when she opened the door.

My whole family stood somewhat patiently at the stoop. I wished they'd have taken the time to at least ask Bella if she wanted to do have a barbecue.

Bella was undoubtedly confused, "So what are we all doing up here?"

Everyone simply took Bella's step backwards as the okay to enter, and they didn't hesitate as they each made themselves at home. I was confused! This sure as fuck wasn't my idea! This also wasn't Alice's flat, it was Bella's. You can't just welcome yourself into someone else's home.

When Bella turned to me with a frown, I felt the flush of red flood my cheeks. She was making me blush!

"Edward."

Well seeing as no one else was going to answer, "Well I figured that seeing as you slept through yesterday, we could have a barby and get to know each other a little more." I found the floor most interesting as I tried to find a way to answer for my family randomly just turning up.

I knew they were already planning on having a barbecue, but just turning up and inviting themselves into Bella's home was a bit much. There were much simpler ways to invite someone for dinner. A phone call perhaps or you know, actually asking them.

"Whose idea was this?" Bella scanned the room, and yet for some reason her eyes landed on me. I met the eyes of my family, and then I found out why. All eyes were on me!

Oh fuck! They were blaming me for this. I practically froze as Bella just looked at me. When she stepped closer, I half anticipated another punch; only I was pleasantly surprised when she hugged me, reaching up on her toes as she kissed me on the cheek.

"Thank you." I smiled down at the little terror, returning the gesture as I kissed her on the cheek.

"All good."

I watched as Bella took a deep breath before regarding my family. "So I don't know how you guys barbecue here, but in the States we normally do it outside."

Alice, not one to be insulted clocked Bella in the arm, "Jesus, we're not that uncivilised." She said before she gathering up all of the junk food and heading downstairs. She had probably asked the kitchen staff to setup the barbecue for her before they headed off today. Unsurprisingly, with one look Jasper was following Allie out the door, grabbing the goodies from her as he went.

He really was whipped; though Emmett was probably the worst. I shook my head as I watched him pretend to crack the whip behind Jazz only to get shutdown in the same second. Yeah bro, Jazz's whipped.

Dumb ass.

I wasn't sure if I was supposed to stay with Bella, or follow my siblings, but one look at mum let me know. She was glaring at me, and then the door. Okay. Guess I was going.

Downstairs, Emmett was lighting the barbecue as Alice dished up chips into bowls. Jasper was in the chillybin covering the beers with ice, and Rose was slicing up vegetables for a salad.

I wasn't sure how long Mum, Dad and Bella were gonna be, so I set to work. Between Rose and me we managed to get through the salads pretty quickly. So Rose went to the barbecue to babysit, Em.

"Hey Ed?" Alice asked, as she sat down next to me, choking the neck of her beer.

I found myself sitting up a little straighter as I met her eyes. "Yeah?"

"Do you think Bella likes me?" Oh Alice.

Despite how she behaved now, Alice had a lot of issues with confidence and making friends. It was rare, but surfaced from time to time especially when new people entered her life. She'd been pretty badly bullied, mostly because of how small she's always been, and always being a little different.

Growing up, she trusted way too quickly and entered every friendship with her heart wide open. For some bitches, that made her the perfect target.

It stopped when she joined me at intermediate, but the damage had already been done. She was better now, but outside of the family, she didn't have a whole lot of friends. It didn't surprise me she liked Bella. There was probably something about her that Alice related to in a kindred way.

Maybe, just maybe, I'd be able to convince Bella to stay. Alice needed to see another strong woman that wasn't her familyher family.

I reached over, and wrapped my arms around Alice so I could hug her to my chest. I kissed her hair, as I just squeezed. "Yeah, Allie, I'm pretty sure, B, likes you. She didn't kick you out of her room today." I felt her nod her head against me. "Now come on, it's a party. Where's the music?"

By the time Bella, Mum and Dad joined us, the party had truly begun. We were all a few beers deep and were singing along as Rose took over the barbecue. I was surprised she'd let Em "cook" as long as she had.

As soon as Alice saw Bella, she was across the deck, making eyes at her and singing along to Awa. Bella didn't know what hit her as she was grabbed by the hands and dragged onto Alice's makeshift dance floor.

It was great to see my sister being so carefree and Bella too. She had no idea what song was playing, but she was swaying and moving with my sister like they'd been doing it for years.

I don't care what force had brought Bella into my life, but I had to trust that we'd found her for a reason and I was willing to do whatever I could to keep her in our lives. There was something about her that just fit, and if the smiles on everyone's faces were anything to go by, I wasn't the only one who thought it.

When Bella finally got over the shock of Rose throwing her beer to her, I smiled as she caught my eye. I tipped my beer to her in silent cheers.

'Welcome to Team Cullen, Bella.' I wanted to say, because it was pretty clear both Alice and Rose were enjoying her company. But I was a bit worried she'd take it the wrong way.

But Dad, being Dad, found a much better way of making her feel welcome. "Stick around, Baby B, you haven't seen anything yet."

Yes, Bub, stick around. Because you are definitely going to make our lives interesting.

* * *

 **So, what did you think? I know a few of you wanted Edward's POV about when they met, so I wrote it. I hope you liked it!**

 **Don't worry, there's still more to come, they just take me time to write.**

 **Nic.**


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